An Abuja-based property developer, Mr. Sally Biose, has petitioned the Police Service Commission (PSC) over what he described as unlawful arrest, intimidation, and continued police interference in a land dispute currently before multiple courts.
In a petition dated February 16, 2026, and addressed to the Chairman of the PSC, Hashimu Salihu Argungu (Rtd), Mr. Biose accused officers of the Nigeria Police Force, led by ASP Samuel Ugbanawaji of the IGP Monitoring Unit, Abuja, of violating his fundamental rights and meddling in a matter already subject to ongoing civil and criminal proceedings.
According to the petition, Mr. Biose was arrested in Asaba on February 15, 2026, despite not being named in any criminal charge relating to the disputed property.
His legal team argued that the arrest was carried out without regard to existing court proceedings and in alleged defiance of established police directives discouraging involvement in land disputes that are sub judice.
The dispute, the petition stated, involves Bonatec Nigeria Limited and former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, with multiple suits pending before the High Courts and the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
Mr. Biose’s lawyers further alleged that on October 14, 2024, police officers, reportedly led by ASP Ugbanawaji, supervised the demolition of their client’s property without authorization from the Development Control Department or the enforcement unit of the Federal Capital Territory High Court. They claimed both agencies later disassociated themselves from the demolition.
Despite the matter being before the courts, the petition alleged that police officers continued to arrest and harass individuals connected to the dispute, including persons not listed in any formal charge.
It added that Mr. Biose has instituted a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the police, which remains pending before the FCT High Court.
Several civil and criminal cases relating to the disputed land are also ongoing before the FCT High Court and on appeal, raising concerns over the principle of lis pendens, which bars interference in matters already before a court of law.
The petition further accused senior officers, including a serving Commissioner of Police, of disregarding repeated directives from the PSC instructing officers to halt investigations and alleged intimidation linked to the land dispute pending judicial determination.
Mr. Biose’s legal representatives urged the PSC to urgently intervene and initiate disciplinary proceedings against the officers involved, warning that continued police involvement in civil land disputes could undermine public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force.
As of press time, neither the Police Service Commission nor the Nigeria Police Force had issued an official response to the allegations.
