Lawyer Petitions Inspector General of Police Over CPs Harrassment
By Owolola Adebola
A flurry of letters of complaints about the alleged professional misconduct of the Acting Commissioner of Police for Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu are now in the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammad Adamu, receiving attention while the offices of the police Service Commission, Executive Governor of Lagos State,Senate Committee on Police Affairs and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice are not left behind in the recent development.
The recent petitioner, Richtop Construction & Engineering Company Limited, who hired the services of two leading Attorneys from the Chambers of Lordwingate Legal Practitioners/Consultants Messrs Ibrahim Ayatullahi Suleiman Esquire respectively stated in a three page petition to the IGP , calling for urgent request for forensic investigation into what it describes as “an act of illegal trespass, pure bullying, daily loss of business revenue despite paying government taxes, plans of criminal conversion of landed property granted by the federal government and National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) with an intent of forceful eviction,; an allegation said to have been spearheaded by Hakeem Odumosu, the Acting Commissioner of police for Lagos state.
The petitioners said that Odumosu had relentlessly laid siege to his business premises using “some dangerous thugs and constant harassment, trespass and violation to his business premises.
According to the Attorneys, “Hakeem Odumosu has been doing this in league with a Divisional Police Oficer and Area Commander within the jurisdiction of the business premises” at Area C designate.
It was also alleged that, Richtop Construction and Engineering Company Limited is a business concern duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and dealing in logistics, Cargo and transportation of legitimate goods and services within the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The petitioners through the stated further that, their ckient,s company which is affiliated registered and conducts business and have an operational lease license for the parcel of waterfront land granted bonafide by the Federal Ministry of Works, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) was operating in peace and tranquility until a group of policemen armed with guns, teargas and other dangerous weapons and police patrol vehicles constantly came to their business premises to block access into their business premises where they load trucks and other vehicles and Badges from their business premises by the jetty to anywhere they so wish within Lagos state, aiming at the ameliorating the constant incidence of trailers breaking down and causing unnecessary gridlock, issues of accidental falling off the bridge of containers and hurting of several persons; and better alternative to waste of precious nan hours and resourceful time on the horrendous Lagos traffic.
The legal practitioners posited that, that the recent constant visitation to their clients premises by these policemen and an inquisitional visit to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Adekunle and Area Commander offices which cover the business jurisdiction at ‘Area C’ they were told to go and meet with the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu ,before they could commence any operation on their legally acquired site, which they pay workers and government taxes on a regular basis.
The petitioners said their Clients are law abiding citizens, working in line with all agencies of government and dealing With law abiding citizens, working in line with all Agencies of Government and dealing with law abiding citizens drawn from all walks of life.
The petitioners stretched further that their means of livelihood as well as several customers’ perishable goods and cargo have been grounded at their clients business site and a lot of customers have been requesting for a refund of paid dues to ship their cargo through barge ,while others have been threatening to stop doing business with their clients due to the vindictive and .. and malicious action of Hakeem Odumosu, Acting Commissioner of Police, Lagos State for reasons yet unknown despite requesting for what their client,s company has done wrong to cause the constant unauthorized invasion of their business premises and they have not been told of any crime committed, known to law.
The petitioners consequently prayed the office of IGP to pronto intervene to allow them peaceable enjoyment of their lawful property without further harassment, disturbance, unauthorised visitation, illegal trespass by calling to order, Hakeem Odumosu, CP Lagos state the Attorneys said “have been ordering his men and officers to constantly halt their clients I activities”.
…..Owolola Adebola