From WOLE BALOGUN, Ado-Ekiti
Owner of Automatice Fits and Energy Nigeria Limited, Omooba Adesegun Aderemi, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police , Mr. Mohammed Adamu , over alleged invasion of his business premises by Total Petrol Limited and the police.
In the petition dated 18th September, 2019 and addressed to the IGP, Aderemi alleged that he had earlier taken Total Petrol PLC to court over the property and the court, in its judgement, granted an injunction restraining the defendant from forcefully occupying his business centres .
In the ruling given by Justice M. Folarin of the Lagos State High Court in a suit marked LD/ADR/2280/19, TOTAL PLC was restrained from evicting, ejecting or dislodging the plaintiff from the Lube Bay allocated to the plaintiff across Lagos pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The petition was signed by Oludare Falana (Esq), Solicitor and advocates at Stream Chambers in Lagos on behalf of the complainant.
A copy of the order was attached with the petition while the Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS) in Abuja was also copied.
The complainant expressed dismay at how the TOTAL PLC in cahoots with the police had occupied his businesses in brazen disregard to the Court’s order preventing such subjudiced action from occurring.
He appealed to Adamu to use his office to enforce the court order and also instruct his men and officers to vacate his business premises to preserve the constitution of the country from being desecrated.
“Regardless of the order of the court and the pendency of the suit filed contesting the intending takeover of his businesses, TOTAL PLC took law in its hands by conniving with the police to effect arrest of our client (Aderemi) where equipment worth millions of naira were thrown out thereby causing irreparable damage.
“Upon interrogation , the police who unlawfully invaded the Lube Bay and unlawfully arrested our clients and his staff expressly stated that they are from Lagos State anti-kidnapping Squad and acting on the instruction of the Police Commissioner despite showing them the court order and processes.
“Our client and staff were manhandled , battered and handcuffed thereby infringing on their fundamental rights to dignity of persons as guaranteed by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“On the premises of the aforementioned, we want you to use your good offices to cause detailed investigation into out client’s allegations with a view to apportioning appropriate sactions to any erring party in the circumstance.
“We expect your quick response in order to prevent further unlawful invasion by TOTAL PLC”, he concluded.
