A businessman and administrator, Mr. Olatunji Ismail, has filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, accusing the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Police Monitoring Unit at Force Headquarters, Abuja, Investigating Police Officer Akin Fakorede, and six community leaders of harassment, intimidation and threats of unlawful arrest over what he insists is a purely civil land dispute.
The suit, marked GWD/CV/251/26, was filed through his counsel, N.D. Abdulsalam of Lawgem LP, seeking constitutional protection against what the applicant described as an abuse of police powers in a dispute arising from a land administration agreement.
Named as respondents are High Chief Titilayo Adebayo Alli (Baale of Moraika Town), five representatives of the Obagbuwaja Family of Ijebu-Ode, Investigating Police Officer Akin Fakorede, ACP Mayamba Magomya Iliya, Head of the Police Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters, Abuja, and the Inspector-General of Police.
According to the court documents, the dispute stems from a 2018 agreement under which the Obagbuwaja Family appointed Mr. Olatunji Ismail and Mr. Alimi Ismail as administrators and attorneys over approximately 247.31 acres of family land at Moraika Town via Atiba in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.
The applicant stated that he invested substantial personal resources in protecting the land from alleged trespassers and successfully secured a court judgment affirming the family’s ownership. Under the agreement and a Deed of Grant dated August 27, 2018, he said he became entitled to 43.8475 hectares of land as remuneration, in addition to other parcels he independently acquired.
Mr. Ismail, however, alleged that after the litigation was concluded, the family reneged on the agreement and attempted to sell portions of the land, including areas he maintains lawfully belong to him.
According to the applicant, police authorities in Lagos and Ogun states had earlier treated the matter as a civil dispute. He alleged that the case was later transferred to the Police Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, where he received a letter dated July 2, 2026, signed by ACP Mayamba Magomya Iliya, inviting him for investigation over allegations of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and fraud.
A major issue in the suit is an alleged WhatsApp message which the applicant claimed was sent by Investigating Police Officer Akin Fakorede after he was served with the court processes.
According to the applicant’s affidavit, the officer allegedly threatened that no court could stop him from humiliating, handcuffing or arresting the businessman, and further claimed that no lawyer could protect him because the powers of the Inspector-General of Police were above those of the court.
The applicant said screenshots of the alleged WhatsApp conversation have been attached as exhibits before the FCT High Court. The claims remain allegations contained in court filings and are yet to be determined by the court. The respondents have not publicly responded to the allegations and are entitled to present their defence during the proceedings.
In the originating motion, Mr. Ismail is asking the court to declare that the dispute is purely civil and that the involvement of the Nigeria Police Force amounts to an abuse of power and a violation of his constitutional rights.
He is also seeking declarations that the alleged threats, intimidation and harassment violated his constitutional rights to dignity, personal liberty and security, as guaranteed under the Constitution.
The applicant further urged the court to restrain the respondents, their agents or privies from threatening, harassing, arresting or otherwise interfering with his liberty pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
Mr. Ismail maintained that deploying federal law enforcement agencies to pursue what he described as a contractual and property dispute undermines the rule of law, causes psychological distress and disrupts his legitimate business activities.
The matter is expected to come up before the FCT High Court on a date to be communicated to the parties. Until the court delivers its judgment, all allegations contained in the suit remain unproven, and no findings of liability have been made against any of the respondents.