Musa Saliu, a businessman, has launched a N500 million lawsuit against the Inspector General of Police and others over claims of violating his fundamental human rights.
The DIG of Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department and Funmilola Florence Olorunfemi, the second and third defendants, have joined the complaint filed by his lawyer, Femi Motojesi, before the FCT High Court. The lawsuit is a fundamental rights enforcement suit brought under sections 34, 35, 41, and 46, as well as Articles 5 and 6 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Cap 10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004).
Mr Saliu claimed that the police fraudulently listed him as a wanted person in a land dispute in their Special Police Gazette Bulletin. As a result, he petitioned the court to determine that the publication of his photo and name in the bulletin as a wanted person (Ref No: CB: 3510/LX/FHQ/SEB/ABJ/T.7/Vo. 1/20) violated his fundamental rights.
He argued that the police lacked the authority “to engage in the act of debt recovery for the third defendant (Mr Olorunfemi), who is a subscriber to the applicant’s (Mr Saliu’s) estate under construction.” The petitioner requested that the court order the police to unfreeze account number 1000129689 with Globus Bank belonging to Emperor City Integrated Limited, of which he is the alter ego and signature, as a breach of his fundamental rights.
Mr Saliu, a politician and former New Nigeria People’s Party governorship candidate in Kogi in the 2023 election, is seeking N500 million in damages for the violation of his constitutionally guaranteed rights to privacy and human dignity, personal liberty, and freedom of movement when the police declared him wanted. Mr Saliu, in the FCT/CV/2839/24 action, also asked the court to force the police to issue an apology that would be published in the Special Police Gazette Bulletin and two national dailies.
A certified authentic copy of the suit, dated June 14, was made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday. According to the estate developer, the dispute began after Mr. Olorunfemi paid N25 million to subscribe to the construction of one of his houses, and work was halted after the FCT Department of Development Control demolished the estate.
He claimed Mr Olorunfemi summoned the police to reclaim her money despite having informed all estate subscribers that he was attempting to fix the matter and return to the site. Mr Saliu maintained that his relationship with Mr Olorunfemi is civil in nature and has no criminal implications that warrant the police looking into it.
Mr Saliu said that inviting him to be questioned, banning his account, and posting his photo and information as a wanted person in the Police Gazette Bulletin were illegal. The case has not been assigned to a judge. (NAN)
