Businessman alleges intimidation by retired DIG

A United Kingdom-based Nigerian businessman, John Wisdom, has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Adamu Muhammed, to save his life, alleging that some fraudsters were after him.

Wisdom told newsmen that in January 2019, he imported a truck into Nigeria and one Erinfolami Michael, who he met in the UK approached him and said he has a someone who would exchange his N7.5million truck for three plots of land.

He explained that he was shown a fenced six plots of land in Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State and was told to exchange the value of his truck for the three plots of the land which he agreed with the owner of the land identified as Nurudeen Alowonle.

Wisdom stated that after he gave out the truck and was set to take possession of his land, he was told that Alowonle was not the owner of the land and denied access to the land.

The businessman said he swiftly reported the fraud to the police at Maroko Police Station and Michael and Alwonle were arrested. He said vehicle belonging to Alowonle was held as a bond for his release and asked that his truck should be returned to him.

He stated further that Alowonle contracted the service of a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Abdulraman Akao, who transferred the case to the Zone 2 Police Command, where Wisdom was turned from a complainant to an accused and his younger brother was detained.

“A Petition was written against me and I was turned from a complainant to an accused and the Police at Zone 2, ordered that the case file alongside the Prado SUV, held as bond from the fraudster be transferred from Marako police station to them and when the case got to Zone 2, the Prado SUV was released to Alowonle,” Wisdom said.

“The IPO at Zone 2, one Inspector Amao at the D7 department kept on frustrating the case and my younger brother assisting me as I wasn’t in the country was detained and locked up in a cell.

“When I returned to Nigeria and I approach the AIG’s office and he called the IPO and asked why he treated my matter badly and he asked why my truck wasn’t recovered, the IPO said he has been influenced by a retired DIG.

“The AIG then asked us to come on a later date, but when we got to his office I discovered that he was already seated with Alowonle and the retired DIG and I joined them but after making my case, DIG Akao told the AIG in my face that he should turn my case into a civil case.

“But unknown to them, I have written a petition to the IGP and he directed his operatives at IRT to investigate and recover my Truck from Alowonle. My truck was recovered but the retired DIG came to the IRT and started pressuring them to release the truck to his client.

“I was informed that he even brought his client to the IRT office and kept him in his official vehicle and ordered that the truck be release to but the IRT refused and they also made effort to arrest Alowonle but he whisked him away.

He alleged that since then “my life has been under threat.”

When contacted, DIG Akao denied using his position as a retired senior police officer to intimidate or harass Wisdom, adding that he was briefed as a lawyer and he took up the matter believing it was a civil case that involved buying and selling.

Akao stated that his client’s rights have been abused and he has taken the matter to court to protect the rights of his client.