A Lagos-based lawyer, Adebayo Adekoya, has called upon the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate the alleged harassment of Akeem Sanyaolu, a retired officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, and the unauthorized confiscation of his property by police officers from Zone 2 headquarters, which covers Lagos and Ogun states.
According to Sanyaolu, he was out of Lagos on February 5, 2020, when he received a call from his wife, informing him that police officers had entered his property without permission. The officers reportedly located his three parked Ford buses and removed them from the premises without any warrant or court order. Additionally, they allegedly took away important documents.
Adekoya has described the officers’ actions as unlawful, noting that they have yet to produce any complaint petition that might justify their operation. He explained that instructions from the Inspector General had directed Zone 2 to reopen the case and obtain statements from all officers involved. However, Adekoya claims that the team leader has failed to provide the necessary files, raising doubts about the legitimacy of the original complaint.
The lawyer further alleged that the seized vehicles were temporarily released to a complainant’s lawyer on bond, but the vehicles have not been returned despite a request for the files. Adekoya criticized this handling as unprofessional, emphasizing that items held on bond must be made available if needed for ongoing investigations.
He has urged police authorities to demand the release of the case file from the previous investigators and to verify whether a formal complaint and proper authorization were filed before taking the vehicles from Sanyaolu’s property.
