A retired officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Akeem Sanyaolu, has raised concerns over what he described as harassment and the unlawful seizure of his property by police officers from Zone 2 Command, covering Lagos and Ogun states.
According to the PUNCH, Sanyaolu explained that on February 5, 2020, while he was away from Lagos, his wife called to inform him that police officers had forcefully entered their home in Ojuore, Sango Ota. He said the officers took three Ford caravan buses and some important documents without presenting any warrant or court order.
Sanyaolu narrated, “On the 5th day of February 2020, my wife called me and informed me that some officers of the Nigeria Police Force were in my house at Ojuore in Sango Ota, moving my three buses (Ford caravans) and some important documents and items from the house, claiming that they were stolen items from Tincan Port.”
Despite numerous attempts to contact Inspector Ola, who was allegedly involved in the seizure, Sanyaolu said his calls were ignored. Efforts to recover his property, including complaints to the Inspector General of Police, have yielded no success, leading him to lodge another complaint in 2022.
Sanyaolu expressed his frustration, saying, “The officers in charge of my case file at Zone 2 have continued to suppress my efforts to recover the vehicles despite my last letter to the AIG, Zone 2 Onikan on June 3, 2024.”
He also detailed an embarrassing encounter with an ASP Felix, who allegedly called him a thief, accusing him of regularly stealing containers meant for clearance.
In response to these allegations, the spokesperson for Zone 2 Command, Ayuba Umma, said she would investigate the matter but had not provided further updates as of the time of filing this report.
Sanyaolu’s three buses and other seized items remain unreleased, four years after the initial seizure.
