The Rivers State Police Command has denied allegations that the Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, grabbed or facilitated the grabbing of land belonging to residents of Victory Estate, Rumuosi, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
The Command, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, described the allegations circulating on social media as “false and misleading,” insisting that the police commissioner’s involvement in the matter was limited to providing security for a court bailiff executing a valid judgment.
According to the Command, the commissioner received an application on March 6, 2025, from O. S. Obior, a lawyer acting for Kirigust Global Resources Nig. Ltd., requesting police protection for a bailiff to execute a judgment in Suit No. CCC/22/2015, Col. Ogwumerum Eke & Anor. v. Chief Friday Ibeabuchi Anya & Ors.
The application was referred to the Department of Operations and subsequently to the Police Legal Section for verification.
The Command said the Customary Court, Choba, confirmed on March 21, 2025, that the judgment was valid and that there was no pending appeal or stay of execution.
“Based on the legal advice received, police personnel were deployed on 7 and 8 April 2025 solely to provide security for the court bailiff,” the statement said.
It added that CP Adepoju expressly directed the officers not to participate physically in the execution.
However, during the execution, residents of Victory Estate reportedly objected, arguing that while they did not dispute the validity of the judgment, the judgment concerned land in Rumuagholu Community and did not cover their property in Victory Estate, Rumuosi.
The police said the commissioner immediately stopped the execution and directed the Police Legal Section to investigate the competing claims.
“All relevant parties were invited to state their positions, the disputed location was visited, and photographs of damaged properties were obtained,” the Command said.
As part of the investigation, the police obtained a Certified True Copy of the judgment and the disputed survey/site plan from the Customary Court, Choba, and forwarded the documents to the Surveyor-General of Rivers State for charting and geo-location.
According to the Command, the Surveyor-General subsequently confirmed that the area covered by the survey/site plan was within Rumuagholu Community and did not cover Victory Estate, Rumuosi.
The Command said the investigation consequently established that although the judgment in Suit No. CCC/22/2015 was valid and had no pending appeal or stay of execution, it did not extend to Victory Estate.
“Consequently, the execution of the judgment on the said property was considered wrongful,” it said.
The police further said the investigation uncovered alleged criminal offences arising from the wrongful execution, with Col. Ogwumerum Eke, Chief Mike Oyakire, Prince Chima Kelechi and Samuel Chike, among others, recommended for prosecution.
The Command said Force Headquarters, Abuja, also investigated the matter and reportedly reached similar findings.
It added that a nine-count charge, marked PHC/3683/CR/2025, was subsequently filed before the Rivers State High Court against Eke and others at large.
The police commissioner, the Command stressed, “neither grabbed, acquired nor took possession of any land belonging to Victory Estate, Rumuosi Community.”
“His involvement was limited to granting police protection to a court bailiff after the judgment had been duly verified. Upon receiving objections from the residents, he halted the execution and ordered an investigation, which established that the judgment did not cover the disputed property,” the statement said.
The Command also disclosed that Suit No. PHC/1467/FHR/2026, instituted by Eke and three others against the Nigeria Police Force and other defendants, is currently before the Rivers State High Court.
It said it would allow the court to determine the issues before it.
The police further said officers in Rivers State had been warned against participating in land-related enforcement without proper authorisation and legal backing.
“All police officers in Rivers State have been warned not to go to any land to guard, enforce or execute any land-related matter without proper authorisation and legal backing,” the statement said, adding that land disputes were civil matters and aggrieved parties should seek redress in court.
The Command urged members of the public to report any police officer allegedly involved in unauthorised land-related activities to the nearest police station or its Complaint Response Unit.
The statement comes weeks after allegations were made by human rights advocate Marshal Abubakar concerning the arrest of human rights activist and public affairs commentator Onwuka Chimezie, popularly known as Mezie.
Mezie had publicly called out CP Adepoju on social media and explicitly accused the commissioner of allegedly conniving with specific individuals, including Ogwumerum Eke, to aggressively grab native lands within Victory Estate in Rumuosi, Port Harcourt.
In a September 7 statement, Abubakar alleged that Mezie was arrested by officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad on September 4 in connection with his comments about allegations of land grabbing and alleged support for land grabbers made against the commissioner.
Abubakar further alleged that Mezie was subsequently transported by road from Abuja towards Port Harcourt, although the journey was reportedly aborted in Enugu.
He called for the removal of CP Adepoju and disciplinary action against the commissioner and the officers allegedly involved in the arrest and attempted transportation of the activist.
However, while the Rivers State Police Command’s latest statement extensively addressed the allegations surrounding the Victory Estate land dispute and the commissioner’s role in the execution of the court judgment, it did not address the allegations concerning Mezie’s arrest, detention or alleged transportation from Abuja towards Port Harcourt.
The Command maintained that CP Adepoju neither grabbed nor acquired any land belonging to Victory Estate and said the commissioner’s involvement in the disputed matter was limited to providing security for a court bailiff before subsequently halting the execution and ordering an investigation.