Joined as defendants in the suit are Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2; Officer in Charge of D19 Section 2; Investigating Police Officer, Inspector Muritala, D19 Section Zone 2 and Mr Uckrow.
A skin care beautician, Lilian Graham has sued the Nigerian police and a German national, Stephan Uckrow at a Lagos High Court sitting in Epe for her alleged unlawful arrest, detention and harassment over a botched business partnership agreement.
Joined as defendants in the suit are Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2; Officer in Charge of D19 Section 2; Investigating Police Officer, Inspector Muritala, D19 Section Zone 2 and Mr Uckrow.
In the processes filed before the court, Miss Graham who is also an organic skincare product manufacturer, alleged that Uckrow has been using the police to intimidate and harass her over a business partnership deal.
Miss Graham claimed that sometime in 2023, she met Uckrow and after getting to know each other, Uckrow agreed to invest about N50 million in her company, representing about 35 per cent shares partnership.
According to Graham, Uckrow was to facilitate the cost of the product registration and oversee distribution while she focused on producing ginger products.
The applicant maintained that as part of the effort to fulfil her obligations in the business partnership, she applied for NAFDAC (National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control) registration of the new products, bought some of the machines for production, and produced some products for inspection by the NAFDAC officials.
She, however, claimed that along the line, Uckrow who was yet to fully fulfil his N50 million investment commitment started using the police officers at Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos to harass and intimidate her for the alleged offences of obtaining by under false pretence, stealing and threat to life.
The applicant further averred that despite honouring the police invitation and tendering all relevant documents relating to the business partnership, the police have continued to harass her with repeated invitations and threats to revoke her administrative bail.
The applicant, who claimed to have developed serious health issues over the police harassment, is asking the court to among other things, restrain the police from further intimidating, harassing or arresting her over an issue which is a civil matter.
She is also asking for N15 million in damages for the psychological trauma and health issues she has suffered over the police arrest and harassment.
The police and Uckrow are yet to file a response to the suit and no date has been fixed for the hearing of the fundamental human rights enforcement suit.