Prevail on your officers to stop undue harassment of innocent Nigerians- SPANCI tells IGP, Egbetokun

Save the Poor and Needy Charity Initiative (SPANCI), a human rights group, has appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to prevail on men of Zone XI to stop what it described as undue harassment of some innocent citizens.

The group made this declaration via a statement signed by its President, Comrade Yemi Ezekiel Bello.

The statement was made available to journalists on Wednesday in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.

Bello in the statement alleged that some officers from Zone XI Osogbo and Ilora police station in Oyo have been harassing some innocent citizens among whom are prophet Idogbe Gabriel Babatunde and Comrade Siyanbola Waheed Olojede.

Bello noted that the duo of Babatunde and Olojede had petitioned Oyo state real property protection and anti-land grabbing law taskforce against one Mr Adebayo Aminu and his group who were prosecuted by Oyo state government for series of land grabbing, forceful entry, encroachment and other allegations.

He however said that Aminu then allegedly engaged some police officers at Ilora police division and their counterparts from Zone XI to harass the duo of Gabriel and Olojede.

Bello while speaking further, urged the IGP to use his office to caution the men of Zone XI AIG and others involved in this act of injustice.

He described the action of the police officers as illegal.

Bello while speaking further then advised the IGP to investigate the matter.

He used the opportunity to appeal to the IGP to prevail on the officers to stop what he called undue harassment of innocent citizens.

“This report and appeal is necessitated by the act of conspiracy of men of Ilora police division and some men of Zone XI Abere Osogbo who were involved in the above allegations against prophet Idogbe Gabriel Babatunde and Comrade Siyanbola Waheed Olojede.

“The duo had earlier petitioned Oyo state real property protection and anti-land grabbing law taskforce against one Mr Adebayo Aminu and his group who were prosecuted by Oyo state government for series of land grabbing, forceful entry, encroachment and other allegations.

“This is to inform the IGP, the AIG ZONE XI and other stakeholders that the said alleged land grabbers have been using the police to pervert, obstruct, prevent and defeat the course of justice .

“Recently in the same vein Adebayo Aminu used the men of the Durba Area commander Oyo to arrest pastor Gabriel Idogbe based on many falsehood to obstruct the action of the state taskforce which is the only appropriate authority on such land matters allegations.

“We petitioned the Oyo state CP who invited the Oyo Durba Area commander and his men and warned them against highjacking the matter before the state and court of law and that they should tell Adebayo Aminu and his group to go to the taskforce since police lacks jurisdiction on such matters, but to our surprise today Adebayo Aminu used the Ilora DPO to arrest pastor Gabriel Idogbe for the men of Zone XI Abere osogbo who took him away like criminal and also went to look for comrade Waheed Olojede for arrest but did not meet him at home.

“It is the same land upon which the state prosecuted Adebayo Aminu that police is framing malicious damage in favor of him against pastor Gabriel Idogbe and comrade Waheed Olojede to have jurisdiction and to duplicate and frustrate the case before the Court of law.

“Our submission is that it is wrong for the men of Zone XI Abere AIG and Ilora DPO to be involved in such aiding and abetting and unprofessional conducts involving pervertion, obstruction, prevention and attempted defeat of course of justice and punish innocent for offender. Hence they should have contacted the Oyo State taskforce on real property protection and anti-land grabbing law for clarity.

“We humbly request you our reputable IGP sir, to use your good office to caution the men of Zone XI AIG and others involved in this act of injustice, dehumanizing and degrading treatment, act of unlawfulness and illegalities on a matter that is already before the court”.