Akeem Sanyaolu, a retired officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, has accused the Nigeria Police Force, Zone 2 Command, which oversees Lagos and Ogun states, of harassing him and illegally seizing his property.
Speaking with PUNCH Metro, Sanyaolu explained that while he was away from Lagos on February 5, 2020, his wife called to inform him that police officers had forcefully entered their home and confiscated three Ford caravan buses he had parked on the premises. According to Sanyaolu, the officers also took away several important documents without presenting a warrant or court order for their actions.
Recalling the incident, Sanyaolu said, "On February 5, 2020, my wife informed me that officers from the Nigeria Police Force were at our home in Ojuore, Sango Ota, removing my three buses and some crucial documents. They claimed the items were stolen from Tincan Port, and one Inspector Ola left his phone number."
Sanyaolu later discovered that the officers were from the Zone 2 Command and had forcibly entered his house without legal authorization. "These items were legally acquired with my hard-earned money," he stressed. Despite repeated attempts to contact Inspector Ola, Sanyaolu received no response.
Following months of unsuccessful attempts to recover his property, Sanyaolu filed a formal complaint to the Inspector General of Police through his lawyer on August 4, 2022. The matter was subsequently investigated by the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) at Zone 2 Command headquarters in Lagos. However, progress stalled, as the case file did not receive the necessary attention.
Seeking further action, Sanyaolu wrote another application through a different law firm on May 28, 2024, requesting that the case be transferred to a new team. Although the officer in charge, OCZEB, maintained professionalism, Sanyaolu was humiliated during a visit to the office of ASP Felix at Zone 2. “The ASP openly called me a thief, accusing me of stealing containers entrusted to me for clearance,” Sanyaolu recalled. This defamatory remark prompted a formal demand for the ASP to retract the statement.
Sanyaolu claims the police had been acting on a petition filed against him but refused to show him a copy. Despite his ongoing efforts, the three Ford caravan buses and other seized items remain unreleased after more than four years.
He added, "The officers handling my case at Zone 2 continue to block my attempts to retrieve my property, despite my letter to the AIG on June 3, 2024."
When contacted for comment, Zone 2 spokesperson Ayuba Umma confirmed that she would investigate the allegations. However, at the time of filing this report, no update had been provided.
