IGP orders withdrawal of policemen from businesswoman’s land in Enugu

From Molly Kilete, Abuja

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, has directed the Commissioner of Police in charge of Enugu State, Ahmad Abdulrahman, to curb the trespass on a parcel of land belonging to one Mrs Uju Ohanenye, a businesswoman.

The IGP ‘s directive is coming on the heels of a petition by Ohanenye in which she complained about the activities of an unidentified couple illegally occupying the land in violation of the orders of an Enugu High Court dated February 6, 2018, and Chief Magistrates Court 2, Enugu, dated November 27, 2020. The two judgments had awarded the two-hectare land to Ohanenye, a lawyer.

Ohanenye had complained to the IGP that the couple occupied the land located in the Emene area of Enugu in violation of the two court orders, saying policemen were protecting the couple occupying the land in violation of the court judgments.

In her petition dated January 4, 2021, Ohanenye had prayed the IGP to direct the Commissioner of Police to withdraw the police officers on the land, noting that the Enugu police command was aware of the court judgment and execution.

The trespassers were earlier evicted by the court bailiffs based on the order of the Enugu High Court but they were said to have again broken into the property, cleaned the inscriptions on the walls and gates ordered by the court while boasting about their connections to the judicial authorities in the state.

But the IGP in his directive dated January 5, 2021, directed the Enugu CP to intervene in the tussle and provide the outcome of his action.

The order with reference number, CB: 7000/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.515/563, signed by the Principal Staff Officer to the IGP, Idowu Owohunwa, was titled: “Re: Application/request to ask Enugu State Police Command to withdraw their officers from a premises court has executed and handed over to the judgment beneficiary”.

The letter reads: ‘Find attached a copy of a letter dated 4th January 2021, with its attachment received from Uju Kennedy Ohanenye (Esq.), on the above-underlined subject.

‘The Inspector-General of Police directs that you intervene and furnish outcome having regards to the legal implication of police involvement in a matter which is a subject of subsisting civil litigation.’