Musa Saliu, a businessman and former gubernatorial candidate, has filed a lawsuit against the Inspector General of Police at the Federal High Court in Abuja, alleging he was wrongly declared a fugitive in a land dispute. Represented by lawyer Femi Motojesi, Saliu contends that the police violated his rights by publishing his photo and name in the Special Police Gazette bulletin (Ref No: CB: 3510/LX/FHQ/SEB/ABJ/T.7/Vo. 1/20).
The lawsuit, CV/2839/24, lists the Inspector General of Police, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, and Funmilola Olorunfemi as respondents. Saliu argues that the police overstepped their bounds by intervening in a civil matter involving Olorunfemi, a subscriber to his estate project.
Saliu explained that the dispute arose when Olorunfemi paid N25 million for a property in his development, which was later disrupted by the demolition of the estate by the FCT Department of Development Control. Despite notifying all stakeholders of his efforts to resolve the issue and resume construction, Olorunfemi sought police assistance to recover her investment.
In his suit invoking Nigerian constitutional provisions and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, Saliu seeks a court order compelling the police to publicly apologize. He argues that the actions taken against him, including summoning for questioning, freezing of accounts, and publicizing him as wanted, infringed upon his rights. Saliu is seeking N500 million in damages for violations of his privacy, dignity, liberty, and freedom of movement.
Furthermore, Saliu requests the court to direct the police to unfreeze account number 1000129689 at Globus Bank, associated with his company, Emperor City Integrated Limited, citing it as another violation of his fundamental rights. A date for the hearing has not yet been scheduled.
