Police operatives from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja, today, 16th of November 2025, morning, have reportedly stormed the Lagos residence of Mr Joseph Edeh and are currently attempting to forcefully gain entry despite a valid Federal High Court restraining order directing all parties to maintain the status quo.
The attempted invasion, which occurred within the last hour, has raised serious concerns about the growing abuse of police powers for private interests.
In a distress message sent out by Mr Edeh, he stated that officers travelled from Abuja and are now at his home, attempting to break in.
This latest development appears to directly contradict recent assurances by the Inspector-General of Police, who said that the police will not serve private interests or meddle in civil cases without a clear criminal element.
Legal documents show that a subsisting court order expressly directs all parties involved in the ongoing civil and matrimonial dispute to maintain the status quo. There is no indication of any criminal charge warranting police intervention, let alone a forced entry attempt.
Observers warn that the current action violates a binding court order, escalates an already questionable police involvement in a civil matter, and poses a direct threat to Mr. Edeh’s personal safety and constitutional rights. Critics say this is not law enforcement, but a coordinated assault on the rule of law.
The dramatic escalation follows months of alleged harassment by the FCID unit led by DCP Rita Emesime Oyintare. Reports indicate that officers have continued to harass Mr. Edeh despite pending civil and matrimonial cases in Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu.
The Police allegedly directed banks to freeze his accounts and arrest anyone attempting to operate them and relied on a questionable ex parte order from a Nasarawa State High Court, a jurisdiction with no connection to the parties involved, in what appears to be an attempt to bypass the Federal High Court’s directive.
Today’s attempted break-in marks the most aggressive move yet in what rights advocates describe as “state-enabled persecution.”
Civil rights observers are calling for immediate action from the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission, and the National Human Rights Commission.
They demand the immediate withdrawal of all Abuja-based officers from Mr. Edeh’s residence in Lagos, enforcement of the Federal High Court order, protection of Mr. Edeh from intimidation or unlawful arrest, and a full investigation into the conduct of the officers involved.
Human rights advocate Okechukwu Nwanguma, who raised the alarm, warned that allowing officers to openly defy court orders undermines the authority of the IGP and puts all citizens at risk.
“A police force that travels across states to enforce private vendettas is a danger to democracy. This must stop immediately,” he said.
