The Federal High Court in Lagos State has granted an order directing the police to stop further arrest, harassment or intimidation of a businessman, Hamza Ejiofor, based on petitions by his estranged wife.
Ejiofor had spent over three months in two police formations over a contractual dispute with his estranged wife.
Justice Daniel Osiagor granted an ex-parte motion filed by the businessman’s lawyer, C. Achomadu, but moved by Evans Ajoku in suit FHC/L/CS//2025.
Inspector-General of Police (care of Legal Department, Federal Force CID, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi), Commander IGP Monitoring Unit, Lagos; Mr Ojo Odion Charles (IPO), Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone 2, Ebenezer Democracy (Officer-in-Charge), Meks Vivian Lavita, and Mr. Oladimeji Ikotu are the respondents.
Ejiofor, operator of Zulu Restaurant and Lounge in FESTAC, sought an order of interim injunction restraining the first to fifth respondents from continuing to detain and restrict his movement and from further inviting, arresting and detaining him pending the determination of the substantive suit.
After granting the order, Justice Osiagor adjourned the substantive suit till April 29. In a supporting affidavit, the applicant’s younger brother, Chukwudi Ejiofor, said the plaintiff had been arrested and detained many times by the police based on petitions arising from the same facts by Lavita and Okotu.
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He said the police on January 20, about 9 pm, based on a petition similar to others previously investigated by the police, invaded his business at FESTAC without a warrant and whisked him away to Ikoyi. He said on enquiry, he was told his brother was arrested over allegations of obtaining by false pretence, the same claim submitted in a petition on January 18, last year, that had been investigated by the police and a charge preferred against the applicant.
The deponent said the police, on February 15, 2024, filed suit FHC/L/MISC/45/2024 and obtained a post-no-debit order blocking his account for four months, after which the police reported after an investigation that there was no case.
Ejiofor said the IPO ordered the applicant back to the police cell where he has been detained since January 20 over the allegation that had been investigated and concluded by the AIG’s office.
Urging the court to intervene, he said his brother has been very ill in police custody, adding: “I have been very worried about the applicant’s failing health. He is an asthmatic patient.”
The applicant said he met his estranged wife in New York until their marriage crashed, with divorce proceedings ongoing.
He claimed his wife had allegedly been using the police and some family members to frustrate him and his business.