Our attention has been drawn to a video making the rounds on the internet where Nigerian singer, Mr. Habeeb Okikiola (AKA Portable) was seen being humiliated by persons suspected to be officers of the Nigerian Police Force, in an attempt to forcefully arrest him over a civil matter.
The unnecessary show of force employed by the officers in the arrest of a non violent Nigerian citizen over a civil dispute, stands condemned. For the umpteenth time, it is necessary to state that security agencies, especially the Nigerian Police, are not debt recovery agencies and they have no role whatsoever to play in any alleged breach of contractual disputes.
This point has been restated by the appellate courts on several occasions in cases like NA ALLAH v KOFAR KADE (NIG) LTD (2020) LPELR-49596 (CA), Okafor & Anor v AIG Police Zone II Onikan & Ors (2019) LPELR – 46505 (CA), etc.
The Nigerian Police must return to its constitutional mandate and resist the urge to dabble into all manner of civil disputes, while more pressing crimes goes uninvestigated.
Deji Adeyanju, Esq
Founding Partner, Deji Adeyanju & Partners