The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has petitioned the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, accusing officers of Sabo Police Station and Area C Command, Surulere of torture, illegal searches, extortion to the tune of N1.2 million, theft, forced eviction, intimidation, and interference in a case pending before a court.
The petition, filed on behalf of Peter Uyimeh Utim and his wife, alleged that the couple’s ordeal began on February 27, 2026.
This followed a dispute over travel bags left by one Nnamdi Esinna outside his residence on the same day.
According to RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, Mr. Utim had, on previous occasions, helped Esinna by keeping items he forgot outside his home, including a generator he safely stored in December 2025 until he reclaimed it without incident.
“On 28 February 2026, Mr Esinna unexpectedly accused Mr Utim of stealing the travel bags,” Nwanguma said, adding that officers at Sabo Police Station arrested Mr. Utim and allegedly tortured him, leaving him with head and eye injuries that caused profuse bleeding.
He further alleged that police repeatedly searched the couple’s home without a warrant, seizing ₦70,000 in cash along with food items, shoes, hangers, and other property.
He alleged that Esinna also removed three boxes of family clothing and the children’s school bags, falsely claiming ownership.
The RULAAC Director said Utim, who once sold travel and lunch bags at the Onipanu Railway Market before it was demolished, had legitimately owned the disputed goods and had since taken up work as a cleaner.
Mrs. Utim, according to the petition, told RULAAC that Esinna had previously made unwanted sexual advances toward her and asked her to become his girlfriend or wife, advances she rejected on religious and personal grounds.
She alleged he then threatened to frustrate her family and believes the accusations against her husband were motivated in part by that rejection.
Nwanguma said officers also compelled Mrs. Utim’s father to pay ₦1 million without a lawful basis, and that a combined ₦270,000 was collected from him as “bail money” at Sabo Police Station and Area C Command despite police bail being legally free.
The petition further alleged that on February 29, 2026, the couple was forcibly evicted from their residence with the support or acquiescence of police officers without any court order.
RULAAC noted that criminal proceedings arising from the dispute are already before a court and that while Mr. Utim has attended every hearing, Esinna allegedly missed one.
Despite the case being subjudice, officers at Area C Command have continued summoning Mrs. Utim and threatening her with arrest, Nwanguma said, adding that Esinna is now demanding an additional ₦10 million from the family over a warehouse he allegedly does not own.
He also alleged that officers at Area C Command told Mr. Utim to vacate his home “even if it is under a bridge”, reportedly citing Esinna’s influence as a reason not to challenge him.
“The cumulative effect of these actions has been devastating,” Nwanguma said, noting that the family has been rendered homeless, lost its livelihood, and now depends on churches and well-wishers for shelter.
He added that the couple’s children have been forced out of school, with the eldest at risk of missing the upcoming Common Entrance Examination.
RULAAC said that, if established, the allegations point to violations of the Nigerian Constitution; Police Act, 2020; Anti-Torture Act, 2017; and Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State.
In the petition, the organisation urged the Commissioner of Police to transfer the case to an independent investigative team, launch a thorough probe into the conduct of the accused officers and Esinna, recover any property unlawfully seized, discipline or prosecute anyone found culpable, protect the family from further harassment, and keep RULAAC updated on the outcome.
“Given the gravity of the allegations and the implications for public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force, we respectfully urge your office to treat this petition with the urgency, impartiality, and diligence it deserves,” Nwanguma said.
