The Imo State Police Command has outrightly defied the directive of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetekun to release fleets of vehicles worth over N150 million seized from a car dealer in Edo State.
Assistant Supretendant of Police (ASP) John Ebute on 17th October 2024 led a team of heavily armed personnel to the Oshodi Motors’ mart located at 253 Sapele Road in Benin City where they arrested seven staff of the car dealer company, carting away five exotic vehicles to yet an unknown destination.
The owner of the car mart, Mr. Anthony Osayande in a petition through his lawyer to the IGP titled, ‘compliant against illegal use of police powers, police brutality, unlawful invasion of business premises, unlawful seizure of vehicles and unprofessional conduct perpetrated by some men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force led by one ASP John Ebute from the Imo State Police Command. A passionate appeal to the IGP for an unbiased and independent investigation’, said he has not committed any crime to deserve such a treatment.
“Sir, from the way and manner the policemen invaded our client’s business premises, the brutal arrest and violent seizure of our client’s cars worth over one hundred and fifty million naira, our client has lost total confidence in those policemen to investigate whatever might have prompted their action without being biased,” the petition said.
Osayande’s petition also explained that “The policemen also violently took five (5) exotic cars of our client and went away with it together with the six arrested persons. The cars taken away by the policemen are; Lexus RX 2013 model jeep white in colour, Lexus RX 2010 model jeep black in colour, Lexus 2015 model jeep pencil colour, and two (2) GLK 2013 model Mercedes Benz jeep white in colour.
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“That our client has several salesmen who work with him at the car stand and among them are; Osagie, Oduwa, Thomas, Aramude, Ijate Efeturi, David Egusi, and Micheal.”
NewsQuest gathered that the vehicles in question are already being used by some personnel of the anti-kidnapping team of the command who went on the mission.
The IGP via a wireless message signal sighted by our correspondent has expressed dissatisfaction with the failure of the officers involved in the alleged brutal handling of the car dealer to comply with his order to immediately release the seized vehicles and all the arrested persons.
The IGP has therefore ordered the transfer of the case to Abuja where CSP Oladimeji and the other police officers will be interrogated over the allegation brought against them.
In a letter earlier to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters dated 21st October 2024, the IGP directed the investigation of the alleged police complicity.
The letter signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Asuquo Effiong – principal officer II to the IGP reads in part; “I am to respectfully convey the directive of the Inspector General of Police that you investigate the allegation of police complicity and report.”
