Police IG Stops Alleged Forum Shopping by Lekki Estate Resident

● Police Chief Blows Hot On Officers Treating Civilised Debt As Criminal Case

The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has drawn a red line for operatives of the Force Intelligence Department, FID, and other police formations: stop entertaining forum shopping and stop dabbling into purely civil matters dressed in criminal robes.

The warning, according to a senior police source, is a direct response to a bizarre debt saga in a highbrow Lekki estate in Lagos, where a resident allegedly tried to weaponize the police to escape paying over N5 million in electricity and service charges.

The resident, whose identity was withheld, is said to be indebted to the management of GTHomes Estate Residents Association, Lekki, to the tune of over five million naira, accumulated over more than one year of unpaid bills.

After the estate disconnected her from its power supply for non-payment, she launched a marathon race across police formations to get the association’s leadership arrested, detained and prosecuted to force a reconnection.

Her first port of call was Ilasan Divisional Police Station, Lekki. There, police officers reportedly told her bluntly: go and pay your debt or seek redress in a civil court. The disconnection, they said, was not a criminal matter.

Undeterred, she moved to Area J Command, Ibeju-Lekki. Same verdict. She then escalated to Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos. Again, no luck. The police insisted the dispute remained civil.

In a fourth attempt, she stormed the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID Annex, Alagbon, Lagos. Once more, officers declined to intervene, maintaining that the police could not be dragged into a landlord-resident debt row.

She then took the fight to the top – the Force Headquarters in Abuja – where the Force Intelligence Department issued an invitation asking members of the estate’s executive committee, all resident in Lagos, to travel to Abuja for interrogation.

Sensing harassment and abuse of process, the estate executives rushed to the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, and on Monday, September 7, secured a major reprieve. Justice Friday Ogazi ordered the police to maintain status quo pending determination of their suit.

In the Fundamental Rights Enforcement suit, their counsel, Olayinka Olajuwon, argued that compelling his Lagos-based clients to travel to Abuja for a civil debt dispute was unconstitutional, oppressive and designed to impose undue hardship.

Olajuwon further told the court that the FID’s involvement after the FCID Annex in Lagos had already reviewed the same complaint was suspicious, smacking of forum shopping by an influential complainant seeking to intimidate and pressure his clients using law enforcement.

“This is a clear case of abuse of police time and resources,” Olajuwon declared, as the court fixed a date later this month for the respondents to appear and show cause why the reliefs sought should not be granted.

NOP NIGERIA