Right Group, HURMA Petitions AIG Zone 2, Officer Detained For Wrong Act Against ACADIP Leader, Yusuf Adepoju, Others – Rights Monitors
“…It is our considered view that your Command ought to have exercised the enormous power granted by the constitution with serious caution and restrain. Regrettably, your men woefully failed in this regard.
Take Notice that our organization has a compelling reason to intervene in this
matter by taking legal steps against your Command and Ustaz Jamiu Adegunwa in
the interest of justice and fair play.“…It is our considered view that your Command ought to have exercised the enormous power granted by the constitution with serious caution and restrain. Regrettably, your men woefully failed in this regard.
Take Notice that our organization has a compelling reason to intervene in this
matter by taking legal steps against your Command and Ustaz Jamiu Adegunwa in
the interest of justice and fair play.Right Group, HURMA Petitions AIG Zone 2, Officer Detained For Wrong Act Against ACADIP Leader, Yusuf Adepoju, Others – Rights Monitors
In his response and reactions to the petition from the head office of Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA), the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command in Lagos has instructed the detention and investigation of a police officer attached to the zonal command for filling a faulted charge against the head of ACADIP, Malam Yusuf Adepoju and 5 others.
HURMA in a petition signed by the head of legal department of the human rights body, Barrister Lekan Alabi had alleged that officers from the Zonal Command filled charges surreptitously against the founder of the Academy of Islamic Propagation (ACADIP), Yusuf Adepoju, and others.
HURMA alleged in the petition addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of police in charge of Zone 2 that no investigation preceded the filing of the charges.
The petition dated 7th of November, 2022 was titled: “ILLEGAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL CHARGE OF MESSERS YUSUF ADEPOJU, MUBARAK ADEPOJU, TUNDE BADMUS (A.K.A UP
TOWN), ADELAKUN GIDEON AND ABDUL-RASAQ AKINOLA CONTRARY TO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 36(1) &(2) OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NGERIA 1999 (AS
AMENDED)” maintained that the police officers in charge of the matter are not only biased, but also vindictive. HURMA expressed a strong disappointment over the action of the Zonal officers and promised to intervene in the interest of Justice and fair play by taking legal actions against the Zone 2 Command and as well one Ustaz Jamiu Adegunwa on whose fictitious allegations the police officer acted to favor.The Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) in charge of Zone 2 Command, Hauwa Idris, confirmed the detention of the police officer to news media during the week and as well described the police officer’s conduct as grievous. The PRO said she actually met with the Officer in Charge of the Legal Unit of the Command (O/C legal), CSP Paul Idenyemin and he confirmed that one of his subordinates actually filled the charge without his knowledge and as well in breach of procedure.
The Human Rights group, in the petition introduced HURMA as an “Organization with a mandate to protect the violation of the fundamental rights of human persons as entrenched in the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amen
ded) and African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Right. Also with strong bias for the defense of the oppressed and victims of human right abuses”.
The petition read further:
“Messers Yusuf Adepoju, Mubarak Adepoju, Tunde Badmus (a.k.
a Uptown), Adelakun Gideon And Abdul-Rasaq Akinola have lodged complaint with our organization against the ilegal and unconstitutional exercise of power against them in respect of Charge No: FHC/4421c/22 between Federal Republic of Nigeria V. Muhammed Yahaya and 6 ors. pending before Honourable Justice LN Oweibo of the Federal High Court, Lagos Division pressed by the
Legal Unit of your Command.“The complainants herein informed our organization that your Command never invited them to make representation about the allegations of crime against them, your Command never showed any petition of allegation of crime by one Ustaz
Jamiu Adegunwa or any other person(s) before the charge was pressed against them. Your Command did not investigate the allegation of cyber-crime levied
against them by one Ustaz Jamiu Adegunwa or any other person(s). They were highly surprised and embarrassed that there was/is a pending charge against them
before the Federal High Court, Lagos being presided over by Honourable Justice I.N Oweibo.“It is very difficult to believe that your highly strategic Command supervising two
states of the Federation could file a charge against the complainants in respect of an offense that was never investigated.“To erase any doubt in your mind, the
charge was filed by one E.I Onime Esq under the supervision of CSP Paul ldenyemin Esq.
It is clear from the conduct of your men in the Legal Unit that the intention of the
charge is for the Adegunwas of this world to turn the police to a weapon of vendetta contrary to the admonition of the our Appellate Court in the case of
ABDULAHI V. BUHARI (2004) 17 NWLR (Pt. 902) 278,@ 303 that:
Police Officers must be weary of being inveigled into a situation in which they find themselves becoming partisan agents of wrong-doers in the pursuit of a
private vendetta. Such show of power which is becoming too frequent in our society must be
discouraged by all those who set any store by civilized values.“May we inform your Command that your, men are biased and vindictive by filing a
charge bordering on cyber-crime against the complainants here without invitation
to them to make representation and proper investigation of the heinous crime
against them before they’re) and were illegally and unconstitutionally charged to a court of competent jurisdiction.“You would agree with us that your men and Ustaz Jamiu Adegunwa have violated the complainant’s herein fundamental human rights to
fair hearing as entrenched in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).“Based on the foregoing, we have considered the case of the complainants herein and we seriously believe that they have an actionable claim against your Command and Ustaz Jamiu Adegunwa. It is our considered view that your Command ought to have exercised the enormous power granted by the constitution with serious caution and restrain. Regrettably, your men woefully failed in this regard.
“Take Notice that our organization has a compelling reason to intervene in this
matter by taking legal steps against your Command and Ustaz Jamiu Adegunwa in
the interest of justice and fair play.”The Executive Director of HURMA, Comrade Buna Olaitan Isiak informed the public during a live radio interview that the Human Rights body must act so as to “prevent further occurrence of such anomaly”.
“Many poor Nigerians are presently suffering in prison due to such wicked and unlawful act by few evil ones among officers of the Nigeria Police Force.”
