A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Chukwuma-Machukwu-Ume, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, IGP, demanding that he immediately take measures to prosecute over 30 persons impersonating officers of the Nigerian Police and those who aided them (Urban Shelter Ltd) to harass and detain leaders of Abuja Traders Association.
The Petitioner also demanded IGP to ensure that the officers of the Traders Association are no longer harassed.
Mr. Machukwu-Ume, who is Counsel to the the Plaintiffs, explained that despite the pendency of the suit before the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, the police sued as 6th Defendant, has continued to be used to harass his clients.
The traders had on 12th of October 2021, instituted the aforementioned suit and the court in December, 2021, ordered all parties to maintain status quo.
The defendants in the suit are the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Federal Capital Development Authority and 5 others.
The traders said Urban Shelter Ltd (5th Defendant) had defied, discarded, disobeyed the order and openly engaged in the massive erection of structures at the parking lots of the Area 7 shopping complex, Garki Abuja.
According to the traders, while the suit was still pending, Urban Shelter in utter disrespect to the Court, dragged the leaders of the Plaintiffs to State Security Service for purposes of arm-twisting the Plaintiffs to back out from prosecuting the Suit.
Not minding the pendency of the suit, the 5th defendant got Abuja Metropolitan Management Council to mark the Area 7 Shopping Complex and all the structures in the vicinity for demolition.
The traders alleged that on the 4th day of April this year, about 30 armed thugs dressed in a fake Nigerian Police uniform with badges and masked to conceal their identity.
The said policemen, Machukwu Ume wrote, arrived at the UTC Area 7 Shopping Complex at about 5am gave fake police protection to the illegal demolition team organized by Urban Shelter Ltd in its effort to demolish the Complex.
The petitioners said it was wrong for the Nigerian Police to lend itself as a tool for disobedience of court orders and manipulation by selfish persons which was contrary to the Criminal Code law.
Reporting by Ifeoma Nwovu; Editing by Julian Osamoto