*Seeks probe of Agbado police station divisional police officer
A civil right organisation, the Centre for Human Rights (CHRSJ) has accused an unnamed police officer attached to Agbado Police Station in Ogun State Police Command of engaging in illegal activities prejudicial to service code.
Specifically, the group accused the officer of usurping the powers of the courts to eject some tenants from their abode without any warrant from the courts to that effect.
CHRSJ in the statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday signed by its Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi A. Sulaiman also called for a comprehensive probe into the activities of the Agbado Police Station with a view to unravel and clean the mess being carried out by personnel attached to the station.
Sulaiman in the statement said the officer has been induced by the caretaker to the affected tenants, Mr. Wale Abimbola to forcefully evict them (the tenants) one Pastor Ayorinde Oshin and Mr. Sunday Oyedipe from their abode situated at number 15, Ojuelegba Road, Dalemo Bus Stop, Alakuko, Ogun State without valid court order.
“The police officer whom we have not unraveled his identity has behaved in a manner that has not impacted positively on the image of the force. He has conducted herself in a shameful manner, which has further compelled us to call for a comprehensive probe into the activities of men and officers of Agbado Police Station with a view to restore the confidence of the public in the force.” Sulaiman wrote.
According Sulaiman on behalf of CHRSJ, Abimbola has been collecting rent due to the landlord known as Mr. Tunde Temowo without any form of acknowledgment from the tenants for over three years.
“We have been told by the tenants he has been collecting money from them by hand without giving them any receipt. Abimbola has refused to even allow them to pay such rents to either his account or that of the landlord insisting that he would only collect such by hand and that he won’t collect their payment in no other means.” Sulaiman stated.
The activist added that rather than issue the receipt as demanded by his tenants, Abimbola went to report the matter to the police in Agbado Police Station, saying the hapless tenants were issuing death threat to him.
“To our surprise, we discovered that rather than listen to both sides, the affected police officer decided to constitute herself into a law court by issuing quit notices to the affected tenants. She even attempted to forcefully evict them unsuccessfully twice.” The statement reads.
The group wrote that the caretaker has even been making amorous overtures to the wives of the tenants with a pledge to them to overrule the quit notices issued to their spouses should they agree to sleep with him.
“We have been told by the wives of the tenants that the caretaker is of the habit of harassing them for sex in exchange for rent payments. The randy caretaker, we have been told usually wait for the husbands of the hapless women to leave home before visiting them (the wives) to harass them.” Sulaiman stated.
Sulaiman stated that series of reports and complaints have been lodged with the police station on the continued case of sexual harassment but the officers have demonstrated lukewarm attitude to such by not probing further into the allegation.
“We have been told and we have since discovered that Abimbola has a strong network of working relations with the officers in the police station. We have been told that Abimbola had in the past been employing the services of the police officers to forcefully evict his tenants without valid court warrants.” The activist stated.
On the way forward, he warned that the police officers attached to Agbado Police Station should desist henceforth from harassing Oshin and Oyedipe in their current abode, adding that only a competent court or rent tribunal has the power to evict them from their abode.
“While we are calling on the top hierarchy to look closely into the activities of men attached to Agbado Police Station whom we have since discovered to be engaging in shady activities, we are calling on these police personnel to desist from any act that is prejudicial or extra legal as only a valid court or rent tribunal have the requisite power to evict any tenant from his or her abode legally.” He said.
He stated that while the group was willing to provide free legal services to the affected tenants from the vice of both the police officers and their accomplice, the caretaker, adding that arrangements have been concluded to charge the Abimbola to court for attempted rape on the wives of the tenants.
Credit: Social Justice Equity
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