Lagos State Judicial Panel of Restitution and Inquiry set up to investigate cases of police brutality, especially involving officers of the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, on Tuesday, summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
The panel summoned Adamu over a case involving one Adewale Adewuyi, a petitioner whose 26 acres of farmland was allegedly seized by the police since 2013.
Adewuyi’s lawyer, Debo Adeleke, accused the police of refusing to release the 26 acres of farmland seized from the petitioner since 2013.
Adeleke alleged that the police invaded the farmland located at Age-Mowo near Badagry on December 17, 2013, and destroyed it.
The petitioner’s lawyer claimed that the action of the police negatively affected the health status of his client.
Adeleke, who demanded that the panel summons the IGP, said his client brought on a stretcher to the panel’s sitting, could not feed himself.
He also said a Federal High Court had in 2017 ordered the police to release the farmland and pay damages for physical assault.
But the petitioner’s lawyer added that the police had refused to release the farmland or engage in alternative dispute resolution.
According to him, “That order is needed, although I’m not supposed to say this is a fact-finding panel, we need to summon the IGP, so that he can tell the commissioner of police to release this land to us. They are not using the law, it is just there.
“Everybody fears the Lagos state judicial panel on restitution. We will be grateful if my lord will issue the order.”
But police counsel, Cyril Ejiofor, pleaded with the panel to be given two weeks to resolve the issue.
Chairperson of the panel, Doris Okuwobi, ordered that the parties mentioned in the petition should be served summons and later adjourned till March 30.