Due to claims that his fundamental human rights have been violated, businessman Musa Saliu has filed a N500 million lawsuit against the inspector general of police and other parties.
Funmilola Florence Olorunfemi and the DIG of Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department have joined the lawsuit, filed at the FCT High Court by his attorney Femi Motojesi, as the second and third defendants, respectively.
Sections 34, 35, 41, and 46 as well as Articles 5 and 6 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights Cap 10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 are the legal bases for this basic rights enforcement action.
In their Special Police Gazette Bulletin, Mr. Saliu claimed, the police had wrongly listed him as a wanted individual in connection with a land dispute.
For this reason, he requested that the court rule that the publication of his image and name in the bulletin as a wanted person (Ref No. CB: 3510/LX/FHQ/SEB/ABJ/T.7/Vo. 1/20) violated his fundamental rights.
“To engage in the act of debt recovery for the third defendant (Mr. Olorunfemi), who is a subscriber to the applicant’s (Mr. Saliu’s) estate under construction,” he contended, the police did not have the necessary authority.
The applicant asked the court to declare that the police had violated his fundamental rights by refusing to unfreeze account number 1000129689 with Globus Bank, which belongs to Emperor City Integrated Limited, of which he is the signatory and alter ego.
In addition to being a politician, Mr. Saliu ran for governor of Kogi in 2023 on behalf of the New Nigeria People’s Party. He is requesting N500 million in damages for the breach of his constitutionally protected rights to personal liberty, privacy, and human dignity, as well as freedom of movement, which occurred when the police issued a wanted notice.
In the lawsuit with the file number FCT/CV/2839/24, Mr. Saliu also asked the court to mandate that the police publish an apology in two national daily and the Special Police Gazette Bulletin.
Journalists in Abuja were given access to a certified accurate copy of the suit on Sunday, June 14.
The estate developer claims that the disagreement started when Mr. Olorunfemi paid N25 million to have one of his houses erected, and that after the estate was razed by the FCT Department of Development Control, development on the project was put on hold.
He added that even after informing every single subscriber that he was attempting to find a solution and get back to the site, Mr. Olorunfemi invited the police to seize her money. Mr. Saliu argued that there is no criminal undertone to the relationship between him and Mr. Olorunfemi, making it unnecessary for the police to investigate.
Mr. Saliu argued that it was illegal to ask him to appear in person for questioning, to block his account, and to post his photo and information about him as sought in the Police Gazette Bulletin.
A judge has not yet been assigned to the case.
