ASABA – The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar has been petitioned over alleged unlawful arrest, torture, constant harassment and abuse of power by the officers and men of the IGP’s Special Tactical Squad in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
The petition urged the IGP to deal decisively with the erring police officers.
In a petition signed by O.O. Noren, Esq. for Madubueze partners (Attorneys and Solicitors), two police officers, one DCP Koko Yusuf and Sunday Aliyu were named as the masterminds of the illegal actions allegedly perpetrated against Friday Okolo and Onochie Nwanze, who is the Youth chairman of Ogbe-Osadi village, Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government of Delta State.
According to the petition, written on behalf of Okoli and Nwanze, in 2009, prominent members of Ogbe-Osadi community were appointed as members of the community’s land committee, with the mandate to sell land for, and, on behalf of the community, an assignment which was carried out effectively to the satisfaction of the people of Ogbe-Osadi village.
It said, however, that “sometime in 2013, some disgruntled elements within the community led by Anthony Ofili began to make baseless accusations against the land committee, after which terms of settlement was adopted and entered as a consent judgment by all parties, including the aggrieved Anthony Ofili group.”
It was surprising therefore, according to the petition, that in violation of the mutual agreement entered into by all parties, Anthony Ofili in a publication stated that one Sam Morah had been appointed a land recovery contractor, which was not provided for in the terms of reference.
Surprised at this turn of events, Madubueze Partners averred that, “Immediately our clients saw the publication credited to Anthony Ofili, they instructed their lawyers to issue a counter publication. As if that was not enough, Sam Morah and his cohorts, using the officers and men of the IGP’s Special Tactical Squad, began to damage and destroy properties of legitimate land owners in Ogbe-Osadi community.”
It said that as law abiding citizens, their clients filed an action in court against Sam Morah and Anthony Ofili, with the court directing that all parties should maintain status quo pending the hearing of the matter on November 13, 2019.
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In violation of the court order, according to the petitioners, Sam Morah resorted to self help by engaging the services of DCP Kolo Yusuf and his men to harass, intimidate and arrest many people in the community who are opposed to his unlawful acts of demolition of their properties in violation of an order of a court.
“The petition maintained that the intimidation and harassment by DCP Kolo Yusuf assumed a frightening dimension when on the 1st of November, 2019, Sam Morah, in consort with DCP Kolo Yusuf, violently stormed the houses of their clients, arrest them, and dumped them at A Division Police cell, Asaba for over a week without telling them, either the offense they committed or charging them to court.”
While urging the IGP to use his good offices to stop DCP Yusuf and other police officers from further interference in a matter already being handled in court, demanded an end to the alleged unlawful acts of DCP Kolo Yusuf and his men, as their actions are tarnishing the image of the police force.