Petroleum Marketer Petitions IG, Alleges Police Harassment

By Laleye Dipo in Minna

An Minna-based petroleum products marketer, Malam Murtala Musa, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IG), Alhaji Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, asking him to stop the police in Minna from “intimidating and harassing” him.

The petition was signed on behalf of Musa by his counsel Musa Sulaiman.

He alleged in the petition that after the police brought up trump up charges against him and that they (police) connived with a Niger State government agency “to demolish my property at a construction site in Minna.”

According to the petitioner, the police “are being vindictive with the false charges of attempted murder and criminal intimidation brought against me at an Minna magistrate court.

“The charges were trump up by the commissioner of police after he realised  that  the Human Rights Commission has stepped up investigations into the petition I earlier filed against the command over abuse of office and other professional misconducts by the police boss.

 

 “After the police demolished  property worth millions of naira  belonging to my client on the site, they also charged me to magistrate court 8 on 10th February 2018 on two count charges of contravention of residence order contrary to section 151 and obstructing public way or line of navigation contrary to section 194 of penal code.

“The court granted me bail only for the police to withdraw the first Information Report and substituted it with another one which included  charges of attempted culpable homicide and criminal intimidation.”

others.”

The petitioner therefore urged the IG to institute an independent investigation into the matter and also direct the police to stop harassing him.

However, when confronted with the petition, the state police command denied any wrong doing and dismissed the allegations of harassment.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Muhammed Abubakar, said the force only tried to mediate between Musa and the government agency after the petitioner was alleged to have erected property without obtaining permit.

 

Muhammed said the petitioner was suspected to have used his car to knockdown a staff of the government agency.