Myson Nejo, a lawyer based mostly in Abuja who accused Rivers State Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adewole of defending a crude oil theft suspect, has sued the police chief for allegedly violating his rights.
Mr Nejo filed the go well with on the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja on Tuesday, accusing Mr Adewole of violating his elementary rights to liberty, dignity, and property.
PREMIUM TIMES reported on Sunday Mr Nejo’s petition to President Bola Tinubu and others, a precursor to his authorized motion, alleging that he turned a goal of Mr Adewole’s actions after exposing a crude oil theft in Rivers State.
The petition, dated 17 October and copied to the Minister of Police Affairs, the Inspector-Common of Police (IGP), and the Police Service Fee, claimed that Mr Adewole protected Jide Afolabi, Managing Director of Nathern Power Merchandise and Allied Companies Ltd, from prosecution for alleged crude oil theft.
In his elementary rights enforcement go well with filed by his lawyer, Vincent Adodo, on Tuesday, Mr Nejo sought a number of declarations and orders towards Mr Adeowole, and different respondents, together with the Lawyer-Common of the Federation (AGF).
Different respondents are the Police Service Fee, Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, Mr Adewole on his private capability and individually as Commissioner of Police of Rivers State, Olumagba Adewale T.; Commander of the CP X-Squad/Surveillance Unit in Port Harcourt, Raymond Udoka; Afolabi Jide Olayiwola; and Mathern Power Merchandise and Allied Companies Ltd.
Lawyer’s case and prayers
Mr Nejo alleged that Mr Adewole and different respondents have been threatening to arrest, detain, and parade him over what he described as “phantom allegations of kidnapping and terrorism.”
He additionally alleged that the police, prompted by Mr Adewole, unlawfully froze his private and company financial institution accounts with none legitimate courtroom order.
In response to the go well with, the affected accounts are a First Checking account belonging to Mr Nejo, and a Warranty Belief Checking account belonging to Myson Regulation Observe, his legislation agency.
Filed beneath the Elementary Rights (Enforcement Process) Guidelines, 2009, the applying asks the courtroom to declare the police actions illegal and unconstitutional, arguing that they violate his rights beneath Sections 34, 35, 41, and 43 of the Nigerian Structure and the African Constitution on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
He sought N100 million basically and punitive damages towards the respondents for what he described as “egregious acts of risk, harassment, and intimidation.”
The lawyer additionally sought an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the respondents from additional threatening, arresting, or harassing him, and for a public apology to be revealed in at the least two nationwide newspapers.
“The threats, harassment, and tried arrest of the applicant, in addition to the freezing of his accounts, violate his elementary proper to personal movable property as assured beneath Part 44 of the Structure,” Mr Nejo acknowledged in his utility.
He urged the courtroom to grant his utility and award exemplary damages “to function a deterrent towards future infractions by the respondents.”
He additionally urged the courtroom to declare that the threatened arrest and detention on “phantom allegations of kidnapping and terrorism” violate his rights to dignity and liberty.
He contended that the freezing and threatened restriction of his financial institution accounts represent a breach of his constitutional proper to personal property.
He urged the courtroom to order the respondents to collectively and severally pay N100 million in damages and restrain them from additional threats, arrests, or harassment and compel them to publish a public apology in two nationwide dailies.
The go well with, filed on Monday, is anticipated to be assigned to a choose and scheduled for listening to on the Federal Excessive Courtroom, Abuja, within the coming days.
Background
The case stems from an earlier petition Mr Nejo despatched to President Bola Tinubu, accusing Mr Adewole of protecting a suspect in an oil bunkering case whereas focusing on him and his shopper for arrest.
The petition, dated 17 October and copied to the Minister of Police Affairs, the Inspector-Common of Police, and the Police Service Fee, accusing Mr Adewole of protecting Mr Afolabi, the Managing Director Managing Director of Mathern Power Merchandise and Allied Companies Ltd, from prosecution for alleged oil bunkering.
In response to the lawyer, the case started in 2023, when Mr Afolabi’s firm chartered the tugboat M/V Aya Oba Olori II, owned by Dandy Oluwayemi of Atis-Das Nigeria Ltd, to move crude oil later discovered to have been illegally obtained.
Whereas the vessel and crew have been arrested, Mr Afolabi allegedly went into hiding, leaving Mr Oluwayemi to face trial on the Federal Excessive Courtroom, Port Harcourt. Efforts to hint him reportedly failed for 2 years, till Might 2025, when he resurfaced on the Golden Tulip Lodge, Port Harcourt, to barter compensation with Atis-Das Nigeria Ltd.
Mr Nejo mentioned he alerted the Rivers State Police, resulting in Afolabi’s arrest and detention for at some point on the Eneka Divisional Police Station, Port Harcourt.
He alleged that Mr Afolabi admitted legal responsibility and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to pay N40 million in compensation.
Nevertheless, the lawyer alleged that Mr Adewole subsequently ordered Afolabi’s launch, after which started to take motion towards him and his shopper.
He mentioned the tugboat crew and Atis-Das Nigeria Ltd stay charged earlier than the Federal Excessive Courtroom whereas Mr Afolabi was allowed to stroll free.
After Mr Afolabi’s launch, Mr Nejo mentioned the police accused him and his shopper of kidnapping and receiving proceeds of crime, resulting in their temporary detention by the X-Squad Unit.
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He additionally alleged that the police obtained an ex parte courtroom order freezing his financial institution accounts regardless of Afolabi’s earlier admission of legal responsibility.
“It’s surprising that the identical Jide Afolabi, who admitted his function in bunkering and entered a written settlement to pay ₦40 million, has discovered refuge beneath the Commissioner of Police, whereas I, a authorized practitioner who assisted the police, am now being framed for kidnapping,” he mentioned.
He added that earlier complaints to the IGP went unanswered, prompting him to escalate the matter to the President.
Mr Nejo urged President Tinubu to direct Mr Adewole to supply Afolabi earlier than the Federal Excessive Courtroom, Port Harcourt, the place he faces trial beneath cost quantity FHC/PHC/215C/2024.
He additionally requested the withdrawal of the ex parte order freezing his account, describing the fees towards him as “trumped-up.”
However Mr Adewole denied any wrongdoing when PREMIUM TIMES contacted him on Sunday.
“Please, I don’t examine instances; I solely supervise when wanted. Inform your complainant to talk to the investigating officer. That is low cost blackmail and defamation of my character. Thanks for reaching out,” he mentioned in a textual content message.
