Land Dispute: CSOs, PMAN Protest Alleged Police Harassment, Demand IGP’s Probe of Trigger-happy Policemen
A coalition of over 40 civil society organisations, CSOs, has staged a peaceful protest in Abuja, calling on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene in alleged police harassment and shooting of one Omaye, a staff of the Olusco Group who was on site to do his legitimate business.
The protesters, led by coalition spokesperson Tunde John, General Secretary of performing musician association of Nigeria (PMAM) Boniface Itodo and the CEO Olusco group, Femi Olumeyan were in large numbers bearing placards with different inscriptions describing the Fakorede led IGP Monitoring unit of Nigeria Police Force as violators of court order, intimidators and biased against the interest of justice and rule of law. While speaking, head of the Civil Society Coalition, Mr Tunde John said the demonstration followed a petition submitted by the Olusco Group, which accused officers from the IGP Monitoring Unit of continued intimidation and unlawful interference at various company sites in the Federal Capital Territory turning the institution of the Police into land grabbers and racketeers.
John stated that the harassment persisted despite a valid Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Olusco and the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN), which grants Olusco legal control over the affected locations.
He further noted that a court order had been secured, restraining the police and any third parties from disrupting the company’s operations yet ACP Fakorede sent his team to the site, shot at a staff on site leaving him confined to the wheelchair.
The coalition warned that failure to act swiftly could lead to unrest, urging authorities to step in and call the monitoring team to order before tensions escalate.
The group also alleged that CSP Lamin, reportedly serving under the IGP monitoring team supervision, had led several of the operations. During one such incident was when the bedridden staff member of the Olusco Group was allegedly shot.
“Relating to the harassment men of the police are doing on these sites, and so olusco group, wrote a petition to us, and there’s need for us to step in, in the interest of Nigerian police and in the interest of general public and in the interest of the petitioner, so that one will not be taking law into his hands.
“And these are the claims number one, an agreement. Between olusco group and PMAN
an MOU was entered into between Olusco group and PMAN for them to take possession of this site that is located beside on the rock in Abuja here.
“And court processes were available, a court order has been gotten to restrain anybody, including the Nigerian police to stop the harassment of the staffs and the owner, on the occupier .
“However, we discovered that there is one officer claiming that she is acting in the order of IGP monitoring team. She was the one that actually led some policemen to come and intimidate, harass innocent citizen, armless citizen, doing their doing their job diligently. This is what we want now. We want the inspector general police to immediately set up a panel to intervene and find out what is the root causes .
While commending the IGP’s past efforts to reform the police force, the coalition emphasized the need for continued accountability. They stressed that their protest was not an attack on the Nigeria Police Force but a call to uphold justice and the rule of law.
The coalition urged the Inspector General to ensure full enforcement of the court order, immediate investigation into why Police shot and took away innocent, armless citizen on site and to end the reported harassment without delay.
Speaking in the same manner, the General Secretary of the Performing Musician Employers Association of Nigeria, Mr Boniface Itodo spoke on the legal agreement between the PMAN and Olusco group that led to the authority of Olusco to take over the site. He said the man behind the crisis using the Police to cause crisis is the former President of the Association, Mr Pretty Okafor who is no more the association President
Furthermore, the complaints, the CEO of Olusco Group, Femi Olumeyan explained that there is a business transaction with the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) in May 2023, involving a joint venture (JV) agreement.
He stated that he has invested over 2 billion naira in the property and has the necessary paperwork to proceed with the construction
He urged various authorities, including the Senate, House Committee on Police Affairs, and the Ministry of Police Affairs to intervene.
Femi Olusco emphasized the need for the police to respect court orders and stop interfering in the civil matter.
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