The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has been dragged before a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged intimidation and violation of fundamental human rights in connection with a land dispute at River Park Estate in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The suit was filed by directors of JonahCapital Nigeria Limited and its Ghanaian partners, Houses for Africa, including Ghanaian businessman Samuel Esson Jonah, Kojo Ansah Mensah, Victor Quainoo, and their lawyer, Abu Arome.
Others joined in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1130/2025 include Ajao Adewale, commissioner of police in the FCT; DCP Akin Fakorede, head of the IGP Monitoring Unit; EFCC zonal commander Michael Wetkas; EFCC investigator Eunice Vou Dalyop; and one Kabiru Baba.
The plaintiffs are demanding ₦200 million in exemplary damages over what they described as repeated harassment, intimidation, and violation of their rights by Nigerian law enforcement officers.
The investors allege that despite a prior investigation into petitions over ownership and access to the estate — conducted by a Special Investigation Panel (SIP) constituted by the IGP — the police have refused to release the panel’s findings.
According to court documents, the SIP, led by DCP Usman Ahmed Imam, concluded its work and submitted a report to the IGP, who then informed the parties that the file would be reviewed for any criminal elements.
However, the report was never released, and a fresh investigation was reportedly initiated by Fakorede, a former head of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The claimants say this second probe is aimed at undermining the earlier findings, and that they have been repeatedly summoned, detained, and prevented from accessing their land by men of the Mobile Police Force (MOPOL 45), while staff of a rival company, Paulo Homes Limited, continue to build freely.
They claim Paulo Homes filed a new petition on April 10, 2025, repeating allegations previously examined, prompting the resumption of police actions against them.
They also allege that Kojo Ansah Mensah, CEO of JonahCapital and Houses for Africa, was arrested and detained for days by the EFCC, despite the ongoing litigation and the SIP’s earlier investigation.
The plaintiffs told the court that letters dated March 20 and April 16, 2025, requesting the release of the SIP report, were ignored by the police.
A similar request by the Attorney General of the Federation, through a May 16, 2025 letter signed by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mohammed Baba Abubakar, has also gone unanswered.
In another intervention, the Ghana High Commission in Nigeria, through Acting High Commissioner Eddison Mensah Agbenyegah, wrote to the IGP on April 9 requesting certified true copies of the SIP report and offered to pay all associated costs — but also received no response.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to issue a perpetual injunction restraining the police and EFCC from further inviting, harassing, or detaining them concerning the estate matter.
They also want the court to compel the police and EFCC to release the SIP report and to declare the creation of a police post on their land unlawful.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
