By TAIYE AGBAJE

A 79-year-old woman, Colleen Yesufu, has prayed a Federal High Court in Abuja to order the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to withdraw police officers attached to private citizens.

Yesufu, who told the court in a suit filed by her lawyer, Maxwell Opara, also prayed for an order of perpetual injunction on the I-G from reassigning any member of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) as VIP escorts to private individual, including Mrs Bikikisu Aliyu.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Yesufu, a businesswoman, had, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/26/2025, sued President, Federal Republic of Nigeria; I-G and Mrs Aliyu (A.K.A. Rebecca Omokamo Godwin Isaac) as 1st to 3rd respondents.

She also listed the National Police Council and NPF as 4th to 5th respondents respectively.

Yesufu, in the originating summons filed on Jan. 9 by Opara, wants the court to determine whether President Bola Tinubu?s executive directive made on Nov. 13, 2023, to the I-G for the immediate withdrawal of policemen serving in the NPF designated to VIPs who are not statutorily entitled to police escort is valid and subsisting.

?Whether having regards to the provisions of Section 4 of the Police Act, the duties of the 5 defendant (NPF) ought to be to the general public of the state rather than a selected few.

?Whether or not it will be lawful for the 2nd defendant (I-G) to immediately withdraw the police VIP escorts attached to the 3rd defendant (Aliyu).?

The applicant, who sought five reliefs, urged the court to make a declaration that President Tinubu?s executive directive is valid and subsisting.

She sought a declaration that it will be lawful for the 2nd defendant to immediately withdraw the police VIP escorts attached to the 3rd defendant (Aliyu).

?An order directing the 2nd defendant to immediately withdraw all VIP Police escorts attached to the 3rd defendant and others, other than those statutorily entitled to them in Nigeria.

?An order of perpetual injunction on the 2nd defendant from reassigning any member of the 5th defendant as VIP escorts to the 3rd defendant or any other private individual in Nigeria.?

Yesufu, in an affidavit she deposed to, averred that on Nov. 13, 2023, President Tinubu, whilst exercising his powers under Section 5 and 215(3) of the 1999 Constitution, gave an executive directive to the I-G for the immediate withdrawal of all personnel of the NPF designated as VIPs escorts to all citizens other than those statutorily entitled to them.

She said the NPF issued a press statement published in the media confirming the president?s executive directive and their compliance forthwith.

The plaintiff, however, alleged that in spite of the executive directive, the I-G had failed, refused and/or neglected to comply with the directive as Aliyu l, who is a private citizen like her has been using the police personnel purportedly attached to her as VIP escort by the I-G to intimidate, harass and threaten her.

She further alleged that Aliyu had been using the officers attached to her to evade lawful invitations from other law enforcement agency like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

?The 3rd defendant currently has a pending case of fraud pending at the EFCC and has been evading service of invitation and arrest by the commission using the police VIP escort and directing them as personal employees,? she averred.

Yesufu said the I-G, despite so many demands, petitions and complaints by her, had reluctantly refused to comply with the standing directive of the president, thereby allowing individuals to privately utilise the NPF.

The case was yet to be assigned to a judge as at the time of filing the report. (NAN)

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