The Nigeria Police Force has reaffirmed that the criminal case involving Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Lagos, AIG Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, over the Ajiran murders remains before a court of competent jurisdiction and must be allowed to run its full course, free of media trial.

The position was contained in a statement issued yesterday by Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Ani Iniedu, responding to weeks of public commentary by social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), against AIG Jimoh over the matter.

The statement said the case had been investigated by police and is now before the court, following advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Being sub judice, it said, adjudication rests solely with the judiciary, and the Force would not try the matter in the media or allow public campaigns to prejudge the parties involved.

The statement also said the AIG in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) had invited AIG Jimoh for questioning over allegations raised against him, in line with the Force’s internal accountability process.

CSP Iniedu said discipline within the Force is governed by the Constitution, the Police Act 2020, Police Regulations and Force Orders, applied uniformly regardless of rank.

While affirming Nigerians’ constitutional right to free expression and to demand institutional accountability, the Force said this did not extend to defamation or amplifying unsubstantiated allegations to force disciplinary outcomes outside due process.

Allegations must be formally submitted, investigated and objectively assessed. Any officer found culpable following investigation will face sanctions in accordance with the law,” the statement read, adding that the Force reserved the right to pursue legal remedies where allegations are found to be false and calculated to damage an officer’s or the institution’s reputation.