By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
A Lagos-based law firm, Kunle Owolabi & Co, has petitioned the Lagos State Police Command over what it described as an attempted kidnapping and intimidation of its client, Alhaja Oluwabukola Ikotun, by three men who claimed to be police officers, reports thegazellenews.com
In the petition dated Friday, 23 January, 2026 and addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Ikeja, the firm alleged that the incident occurred earlier that day at the client’s residence, where three hefty men wearing mufti, stormed her compound between 2pm and 3pm, calling out her name in a manner that caused panic among tenants.
According to the petition, the men, “started calling her name with such intensity that sent fears down the spines of tenants within our client’s large compound,” adding that residents were too frightened to come out.
The lawyers stated that some tenants who peeped through their windows quickly warned Alhaja Ikotun that, “some guys, who looked every inch like kidnappers or assassins were inside the compound.”
The petition quoted the firm as saying that one of the client’s sons later confronted the men, who claimed to be policemen from the State Command. “They told him to call his mum to follow them to their station or tell her to come unfailingly on Monday, the 26th day of January 2026,” the lawyers wrote.
One of the men allegedly identified himself as Inspector Joseph and dropped a phone number. However, the firm stressed that “these people did not wear uniform. They did not come in police vehicle. There was no trace or telling sign(s) that they were police officers. Not even an identity card was waved.”
The petition further alleged that after leaving the compound, the men waited around the corner of the street. “They then lurked around the corner of the street waiting for our client to go out so that they can attack/arrest her, whichever one our client did not know,” the firm stated.
Explaining its subsequent actions, the law firm said the distressed client contacted them immediately. “Our client, panicking, called us to describe what happened in her house,” the petition read. The lawyers said they contacted the number dropped by the men via WhatsApp.
In the chat, the individual who identified himself as Inspector Joseph reportedly confirmed visiting the residence. According to the petition, he insisted that Alhaja Ikotun “must come to their command on Monday the 26th day of January,” adding that “there was a petition against her.”
The lawyers said they questioned the method adopted by the officers. “I asked the officer whether that was the professional way the police conduct itself with respect to invitation of a citizen, who is not a criminal and has no criminal record whatsoever,” the petition quoted.
The firm criticised what it described as intimidation, stating: “Your men, if truly they are your men, tossed courtesy to the wind and instead trailed our client to her house like Gestapo hunting for political dissidents”.
The petition said communication stopped until January 26, when a formal invitation letter dated the same day and signed by a Superintendent of Police identified as SP Adamu was sent via WhatsApp at about 1:25pm. The lawyers described the letter as suspicious. “We consider this letter of invitation as an after-thought by someone, who has sinister motive and is using these men to intimidate our client,” the firm stated.
Kunle Owolabi & Co. warned that their client feared for her safety. “We fear that our client can fall into the hands of kidnappers/criminals, and that fear was abundant and overly demonstrated by those three men,” the petition read.
The firm urged the Commissioner of Police to investigate the identity of the men. “If they are not police officers as they claim, this petition will serve as our client’s Save My Soul letter to your good office,” it said.
On the other hand, the lawyers argued that even if the men were genuine officers, their conduct was unacceptable. “By that conduct they exhibited on Friday, they actuated in the most embarrassing and unprofessional manner unforeseen and unanticipated of a police who knows his onions,” the petition stated.
The firm also alleged a violation of the client’s constitutional rights. “Our client’s Fundamental Human Rights as enshrined in Sections 37 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution… have been flagrantly violated,” it added.
Consequently, the solicitors asked the Commissioner of Police to take over the matter and ensure proper procedure. “We therefore call on you Sir, to take over the matter from them and let the police authority invite our client appropriately. Promptly, she will answer as a true citizen of Nigeria,” the petition concluded.
