The Sonmolu, Aro Efolu, and families of Itamaga in Ikorodu area of Lagos have petitioned the Inspector- General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, over alleged perversion of justice by men of the Federal Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID), Alagbon, Lagos .
The families in a letter dated February 14, 2020, signed by their lawyer, Ayodele Omoniyi, alleged that some officers of FCIID, Alagbon,namely: DCP Tunji Lawal, SP. Kayode Emmanuel, Inspector Emmanuel ,and Inspector Kolapo, of Zone 2 Annex Ikorodu Zonal office are shielding the suspects from being arrested.
The petitioners stated that the conduct of the FCIID Alagbon ,revealed a consistent pattern of frustrating and preventing the arrest, investigation or trial of any suspect who is in any way connected with Kamila Adisa Dada.
The petitioners stated that that there was a land dispute between them and some suspects over control and use of the family land released to the family after the wounding up of NITEL.
They added that the dispute arose because one family wanted to take over the land to the exclusion of the three other families and this has led to institution of several court cases.
While the cases were in court, the court gave an order that all parties should maintain status quo, but the suspects continue to erect buildings on the land in defiance of the court order.
When the matter was reported, the trial judge, directed that a census be taken of properties being developed in disobedience to the court order.
The petitioner stated that parties in the suit, court officials, police officers along with personnel from the Ministry of Land and Physical Development in Lagos state went to inspect the land and 56 houses built in violation of court order were identified and marked.
Consequently, the court ordered the Inspector -General of Police to provide security to the officials of the Lagos state government to demolish the 56 buildings.
The 56 buildings were demolished as directed by the court and none of the parties appealed against it.
However, the suspects wrote a petition to the FCID Alagbon claiming that our client demolished the 56 buildings and this led to the arrest of our client including a 72 -year-old man who was kept in police detention for three days by the above-named officers.
The petitioner stated that they had earlier written a petition to the IGP against the suspects that they were causing breach of peace and that the case was assigned to the monitoring unit where inspector Reuben was detailed to investigate the matter.
Following investigation, about seven suspects were arrested along with others thugs, but the FCID Alagbon allegedly stalled the investigation and ensured the release of the suspects.
They added that notwithstanding the abundance of evidence that the demolition was in pursuant to an order of the court, the FCID Alagbon continued to ask irrelevant questions of who brought the order to the attention of the Lagos state government.
They stated that the office of the Commissioner of Police (Legal Section) at the Force headquarters have sought for the submission of all the case files for legal analysis, but the FCID ignored the demand.
Accordingly, the petitioners stated that it was beyond conjecture that they would not get justice or be accorded fair hearing in the manner the FCIID Alagbon has been going about the investigation and their unwarranted interference in the complaints made against the suspects.
They stated that the interest of justice would be better served if the FCID Alagbon is prevailed upon to hand over the case file if they are convinced that they have no parochial interest to serve.
The family also demanded for an x-ray of the activities of FCID Alagbon in connection with the dispute over Itamaga land, they should stop acts directly tailored towards frustrating valid order of court.
The families disclosed that after the demolition of the 56 building by the order of court, the suspects again erected structures on the land and a petition was written to the IGP on the new development.
They added that, Adamu directed the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department ( SCIID), Panti , Lagos State Police, Command to investigate the allegation and a team led by CSP Odutona arrested following suspects;Adedeji, Haruna, Ahmed, Sule, l Iliya, Saheed, Wisdom, Olatise, Alagbe, Osho, Abayomi , Dada, Emeka , Aminu ,and Okiki.
The petitioners alleged the main suspect , Dada along with officers from the FCID Alagbon ensured the release of the arrested suspects.
