By TAIYE AGBAJE

The Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from taking any action relating to the River Park Estate dispute.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a ruling, also restrained other parties in the suit, including the Commissioner of Police, FCT, Ajao Saka Adewale, from actions that may foist a ?fait accompli? on the court in the matter.

Justice Egwuatu subsequently adjourned the matter until June 26 for commencement of the hearing on the land dispute.

Other defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1130/2025 are DCP Akin Fakorede, Head of the I-G Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters; the FCT Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Mr. Michael Wetkas; an EFCC investigator, Eunice Vou Dalyop, also an ACE 1, and Kabiru Baba.

The developers of River Park Estate, JonahCapital Ltd and Houses for Africa Ltd, Samuel Esson Jonah, Kojo Ansah Mensah, Victor Quainoo, and their legal practitioner, Abu Arome, had filed the case.

In their fundamental rights enforcement suit, they sought among others, an interim injunction restraining the police, EFCC and other parties before the court, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive matter.

The suit arose due to several petitions over the alleged trespass and ownership of the estate, which forced the I-G to set up a Special Investigation Panel (SIP) to harmonise and investigate the petitions forwarded by different interests.

The businessmen claimed that after several weeks of sitting, the panel concluded its report and forwarded same to the IGP, who in turn informed the parties through the Principal Staff Officer 1 to the I-G that the report submitted by the SIP would be sent to the Commissioner of Police, Legal to review and look out for criminal and triable offences.

According to the Ghanaian businessmen, Paulo Homes Limited subsequently wrote another petition on April 10 to the I-G alleging the same allegations, which had already been investigated by the SIP.

The Ghanaians also informed the court that despite different letters, such as that of March 20 and April 16, sent to Egbetokun and Fakorede, for the release of the investigation report of the SIP conducted by an 11-member team, they had received no reply.

Instead, the Head of the I-G Monitoring Unit, Fakorede, allegedly commenced another investigation on the same subject matter, in a bid to alter the report of the 11-man panel of the I-G investigation panel.

The investors alleged that, despite purporting to be conducting a fresh investigation into the matter, Fakorede, who is a former head of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), had continued to invite them, harass and intimidate them.

They also informed the court that, in what appears to be double jeopardy, the EFCC arrested Mr. Kojo Ansah Mensah, the CEO of JonahCapital and Houses for Africa Nigeria, and interrogated him for several days.

Consequently, the Ghanaian investors petitioned the Hashimu Argungu-led Police Service Commission, complaining against the conduct of the hierarchy of the force as well as the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.

They had sought their intervention as the supervisory body for the police and the chief law officer of the federation, respectively.

They, therefore, prayed the court to make an order of perpetual injunction restraining the police and EFCC officials ?from further inviting, intimidating, harassing and arresting or detaining them in respect to matters or body of matters which are the subject heads of agreement dated June 1, 2012, addendum heads of agreement of June 1, 2012 and completion agreement of July 13, 2012, under the guise of investigation into allegations of forgery and conspiracy to forgery.?

Besides, they demanded N200 million in damages through their lead counsel, Adedayo Adedeji, SAN.

The Ghanaians also sought an order of court compelling the police and the EFCC to release the report of the investigation by the SIP of the Nigeria Police Force led by DCP Usman Ahmed Imam of the Force Criminal Investigation Department. (NAN)

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