A woman Police, who is an Assistant Commissioner of Police, identified as Amabua Mohammed, has been accused of harassing human rights lawyer and Executive Director of Public Interest Lawyers League, Abdul Mahmud Esq, residing in the same estate with her in Abuja and abusing ongoing court process.
These accusations were made by the Executive Director of the RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma, who has taken up the fight on behalf of Mahmud, called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to order a halt to the further harassment of Abdul Mahmud by the ACP.
He added: “She should be directed to allow the court to conclude the ongoing trial of the complainant based on her earlier allegations against him. We call for investigation of the allegation of incivility against ACP Amabua, that she grabbed the complainant by the collar of his shirt, claiming he prevented a lawful arrest earlier.”
Nwanguma, who described the action of the ACP as, “Misuse of police powers and the involvement of the police in vendetta,” added that it was an “unwholesome situation.”
The human rights activist also urged the IGP to order a prompt and impartial investigation into the outcry by Abdul Mahmud over his continual harassment of his person, at the instance of ACP Mohammed.
According to Abdul Mahmud Esq, on 25th June 2023, he met two female police officers who are aides of ACP Amabua Mohammed, owner of two property in the estate where he resides, assaulting a security officer at the gate of the estate.
Nwanguma said: “He parked and walked to the scene and asked the security officer what was going on. He told him that the sister of the ACP claimed he locked her inside the house.
“The security officer denied ever going to her property. Abdul Mahmud turned to the sister of the ACP and asked her if she was locked in, but she didn’t answer. He asked the two female officers if they had a warrant of arrest, they said they hadn’t and that he should speak with the ACP who was inside a police car.
“He told the female officers to reach out to the chairman of the estate before the officer could be taken out and he left for church.
“On his way back from church after a few hours, he met a large crowd at the gate with a reinforced detachment of armed police officers. There was a shouting match between the ACP and the crowd that resisted an attempt to arrest security officers on duty.
“No sooner had the ACP sighted him, she walked up to him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, claiming he prevented a lawful arrest earlier.
“He told her she had no warrant and that the alleged offence was not committed in her presence, so she can’t make an arrest without a warrant. He didn’t even touch her.
“The ACP left seeing that she couldn’t effect the arrest. A few days later, on the eve of the Sallah, officers turned up at his home to arrest him with a warrant. His arrest became a public issue and he was granted bail after the intervention of the Force HQ.
“He was later charged to court on trumped up charges of conspiracy, assault, trespass and resisting lawful arrest. The trial is ongoing at the Magistrate Court sitting at the Muhammadu Buhari International Market, Mararaba, Nasarawa State, with Okutepa SAN and Ibrahim SAN representing him.
“To his utter shock, he has received an invitation from the police in their continuing harassment of his person, at the instance of the same ACP Amabua Mohammed.
“He believes that, rather than open up another channel – which amounts to abuse of process, the ACP should allow his ongoing trial, in which his lawyers, Okutepa SAN and Ibrahim SAN are representing him, at the Magistrate Court sitting at the Muhammadu Buhari International Market, Mararaba, Nasarawa State, should continue to conclusion.
“He further informed us that, suspicious of the fact that the property worth N18m the ACP claims she owns may be illegally acquired as a public servant, he petitioned the ICPC and Code of Conduct Bureau to investigate both properties.
“The petitions were published by the media. She has now resorted to harassment using the instrumentality of the Police Force HQ, alleging cyber bullying, threat to life and extortion.
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“He believes that if anybody’s life is threatened, it is his life. The officers from the Counter Intelligence Unit of the FIB that delivered the letter of invitation to him told the security officers at the gate that they were going to see the ACP but rather drove to his home. Clearly, they deliberately breached security protocol at the Estate gates. We look forward to your prompt and just treatment of this petition.”
Our reporter on Sunday 27th of August, reached out to the Force spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi, so as to hear the woman ACP’s side of the story, but as at press time today, he was yet to respond.