Lawyer Urges IGP To Halt Unlawful Police Interference In Court Case

A legal practitioner, Oladimeji Ekengba, has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to intervene and stop what he describes as unlawful interference in a fraud case before the Federal High Court, Lagos by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) attached to the IGP Monitoring Unit.

In an open letter to the IGP, Ekengba accused the DCP of facilitating the escape of a female fraud suspect who is currently facing trial and has an active bench warrant against her. He alleged that the officer’s actions were driven by personal and financial interests.

Ekengba revealed that the case, marked FHC/L/745C/2024 before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, had been thoroughly investigated by senior police authorities, all of whom had determined that the legal process should proceed without interference.

Despite this, the DCP reportedly attempted to withdraw the case and help the suspect evade justice. However, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) intercepted and arrested her when it was discovered that her passport had been flagged.

Ekengba further disclosed that the officer in question—who is also a lawyer—had previously been sanctioned by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) in a petition marked BB/LPDC/1627/2025 for professional misconduct.

Additionally, he accused the DCP of instructing senior police officers at Alagbon to release the suspect’s passport, falsely citing an official directive from the IGP. This action, he argued, directly violated a court order issued by Justice D.I. Dipeolu on January 2, 2025 (FHC/L/CA/2318/2024), which explicitly barred him from interfering in the case.

Ekengba urged the IGP to take decisive action against the DCP, warning that Nigeria must not be allowed to become a “banana republic” where law enforcement officials flout court orders with impunity.

He further emphasised that officers with a history of defying judicial directives should not be entrusted with sensitive roles within the IGP Monitoring Unit, as their actions undermine the rule of law and public trust in law enforcement.