Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A former caretaker chairman of Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State, Babajide Jooda, has filed a N500 million fundamental human rights suit against the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and a former Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, over his declaration as a wanted person based on what he describes as a forged court order. The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, alleges that the arrest warrant and the newspaper advertorials signed by Hundeyin and published in major national newspapers in February 2026 were illegal, and that the court order which purportedly authorised the publications was forged. Jooda is seeking N250 million in general damages and another N250 million in exemplary damages for what he describes as unlawful actions that subjected him to embarrassment, intimidation and dehumanisation.
The suit, filed through his counsel, lists a long line of respondents: the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Police Service Commission, the Commissioner of Police for Osun State Command, the Commissioner of Police for the Intelligence Response Team in Abuja, a former Chief Magistrate of Karu, Ahmed Ndajiwo, the Registrar of the Chief Magistrate Court in Karu, Muktar Yusuf, Abass Oladipupo and eleven police officers. The inclusion of a magistrate and a court registrar as respondents is significant. It suggests that Jooda's legal team believes the alleged forgery was not the work of police officers alone but involved individuals within the judiciary who may have lent the authority of the court to an unlawful process.
The controversy dates back to 2025, when Jooda was arrested alongside other suspects in connection with the alleged murder of the reinstated chairman of Irewole Local Government Area, Remi Abass. He was subsequently released by the police. But the release did not end his ordeal. According to court documents, the police filed separate criminal charges against him on three occasions, and on each occasion, the charges were later withdrawn. In one case filed at an Osun Magistrate Court in March 2025, Jooda was listed as the first defendant alongside five others. In another case filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja in October 2025, his name did not appear at all. The prosecutor, A.S. Oyeyemi, told the court that several charges had been filed and amended before applying to replace them with another amended charge filed on October 14, 2025. The court granted the application after the defence counsel raised no objection.
Jooda's shock at being declared wanted after the withdrawal and amendment of the charges against him is understandable. If his name had been struck out of the criminal proceedings and the charges had been abandoned, on what basis did the police proceed to publish advertorials in national newspapers declaring him wanted for terrorism, illegal possession of firearms and culpable homicide? The answer, according to Jooda, is that the court order relied upon by the police was forged. He has alleged that the declaration was politically motivated, a claim that carries weight in a state where local government leadership disputes have often spilled into violence and where the line between political rivalry and criminal prosecution is frequently blurred.
The former council chairman had earlier petitioned the Minister of Police Affairs about the wanted advertorials, accusing the police authorities of maligning his character with defamatory publications. The petition, written by his lawyer, Chiemeka Okereke, demanded that the Minister intervene and address the allegations. When no satisfactory response was received, Jooda turned to the courts, filing the fundamental human rights suit that is now before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The case raises fundamental questions about the conduct of the Nigeria Police Force and its use of public declarations of wantedness. A wanted declaration is a serious matter. It involves the publication of a person's name and photograph, the implication that the person is dangerous and at large, and the invitation to the public to assist in his arrest. It can destroy reputations, jeopardise livelihoods and expose the subject to vigilante violence. If such declarations can be made on the basis of forged court orders, then the entire process of criminal investigation and prosecution is compromised. The fact that Jooda has been able to produce court records showing that the charges against him were withdrawn makes his case particularly compelling.
The respondents have not yet filed their defence, and the suit will be argued in the coming weeks. The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has been in office for less than a year and has publicly committed himself to reforming the Force and restoring public confidence. How his office responds to this suit will be an early test of that commitment. The Police Service Commission, which has the power to discipline erring officers, is also a respondent. If the allegations are proven, the case could lead to disciplinary action against the officers involved, including Hundeyin, who signed the advertorials, and the officers who obtained the purported court order.
For Jooda, the N500 million in damages is not just a monetary claim. It is a statement that the reputation of a man and the integrity of the legal process are not things to be toyed with. The suit is a reminder that the police are not above the law and that citizens have the right to challenge unlawful actions by the state. The case also underscores the importance of judicial oversight over police operations. The magistrate and the court registrar who have been named as respondents will have to explain their roles in the alleged forgery. If the court finds that they abused their positions, the consequences could be severe.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has not yet set a date for the hearing, but the case is likely to attract significant attention. It touches on issues that have long troubled Nigeria's criminal justice system: the ease with which charges are filed and withdrawn, the use of the courts for political purposes, and the difficulty that ordinary citizens face when they try to hold the police accountable. Jooda's suit is an attempt to break that cycle. Whether it succeeds will depend on the evidence he is able to present and the courage of the court to follow it wherever it leads. For now, the former council chairman has served notice that he will not go quietly, and his case has become a test of whether the police can be held to the same standards of legality that they are supposed to enforce.
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