Ayorinde Taiwo: SIWES Student (Gateway Poly, Saapade)
A court has issued a summons for Superintendent of Police, Odion Usidamen, who serves in the legal department at the office of the AIG, Alagbon. Usidamen is accused of harassing and detaining a lawyer on August 7, 2023, for five hours in connection with a land dispute.
Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court has ordered Usidamen to appear in court personally on November 7, 2023, to address the allegations of harassment and unprofessional conduct leveled against him by Lagos lawyer Kola Sodiya.
Sodiya informed the court that Usidamen violated his fundamental rights when he visited the Force CIID, Alagbon, to make an inquiry, despite the fact that his fundamental rights enforcement suit was already before the court for adjudication.
Additional defendants in the lawsuit include the Inspector General of Police, Deputy Inspector General of Police Force CIID, Area 10, Abuja, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Force CIID Alagbon Ikoyi, Lagos, AIG Zone 2, Onikan, Adeleke Sunday, Sile Omoniyi, and Adebayo Elabanjo.
Sodiya is asking the court to declare his detention on August 7, 2023, by Usidamen and Adeleke as unlawful. He is also seeking a court order to prevent the police officers and their agents from arresting, detaining, harassing, and intimidating him based on the instructions and petition of Sile Omoniyi and Adebayo Elabanjo.
The lawyer further requests general damages of N500 million against Omoniyi and Elabanjo jointly and severally for instigating and using Nigeria Police personnel to harass and mistreat him regarding a land ownership dispute that is the subject of litigation before Justice Oluyemi of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja.
In a statement of fact presented and filed before the Federal High Court, Sodiya explained that he was appointed by Adebayo Elabanjo to carry out lawful actions related to the recovery of his share of his late father’s 10 acres of land in Ifako-Gbagada, Lagos. A retainer agreement was executed between them, with a provision that Sodiya would be financially responsible for expenses, and Adebayo would be entitled to 30% of the recovered sum.
However, Sodiya claims that Adebayo Elabanjo terminated the agreement, going against the terms of their agreement. Sodiya believes that Adebayo and his sister, Modupe Elabanjo, were working to deprive him of his 30% entitlement after he had expended significant time, effort, expertise, and money to secure their late father’s land.
Sodiya filed a civil action against Adebayo Elabanjo and his sister regarding the land dispute, which was already under litigation in suit no: ID/8544GCMW/2022 before Justice Oluyemi of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja Judicial Division.
He further reported that Sile Omoniyi, who claimed to be Adebayo Elabanjo’s agent, began to threaten his life. Sodiya then filed a petition with the office of the AIG Force CIID Alagbon Ikoyi Lagos. He received a letter of invitation from the office of the AIG Zone 2 related to a petition by Omoniyi, which was assigned to Usidamen and Adeleke for investigation. Sodiya emphasized that the matter was already pending before a court of competent jurisdiction.
