The Bajulaiye family in Lagos state have sued the Nigerian Police Service, Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CoP) for allegedly aiding their tenant, Mr. Isaac Anumudu, to forcefully take over their property on Victoria Island of Lagos and detaining four of their members for purported offences unknown to law.

In a suit they filed before the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere, the family claimed that the police invaded their property known as No. 8, Agoro Odiyan Street, Off Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, at the instance of Anumudu.

The family, who claimed that the property was bequeathed to them by their late father, Mr. C.O. Bajulaiye, said they were bewildered at “the strange claim to ownership of the building” by Anumudu and his company, Crown Star Ltd.

Their lawyer, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, is contending that the detention of the family members is illegal; adding that the statutory duty of the police does not extend to tenancy-related matters.

The family, through Adegboruwa, are seeking a court declaration that the arrest and detention of their members by the police “constitutes a flagrant violation of the applicants’ fundamental rights guaranteed under sections 35, 38, 40 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.”

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