SaharaReporters gathered that armed policemen invaded the Peace Corps Head Office located near Jabi Lake at about 3pm on Friday in a commando style, broke into his office and arrested him alongside 16 officers.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the arrest of the National Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), Dickson Akoh over dispute arising from tenancy disagreement between Akoh and his landlord.
SaharaReporters gathered that armed policemen invaded the Peace Corps Head Office located near Jabi Lake at about 3pm on Friday in a commando style, broke into his office and arrested him alongside 16 officers.
The gun trotting officers were alleged to have forcefully gained access into the premises of the building with the help of thugs and hoodlums who accompanied them, vandalised the doors, and ransacked all the offices before taking Akoh away.
SaharaReporters learnt that the officers
were sent by the Inspector-General of Police office but could not produce a warrant of arrest or detention order.
A source who spoke to SaharaReporters said Akoh was arrested at about 3pm and has been detained incommunicado since Friday over the tenancy agreement of the property located at No.57, Iya Abubakar Crescent off Alex Ekwueme Way, Abuja.
A Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) High Court sitting in Gudu had in a judgement ruled in favour of the Peace Corps when it held that the rent for the property would expire in 2025 but the landlord claimed and insisted that the rent had expired this year 2024.
Justice M.M Adamu while ruling on the case with suit No. FCT/HC/CV/913/2023.
on 27th June 2024 held that “Upon hearing the application of the learned counsel for the possession and writ of attachment executed against the Applicant on the 16th of February, 2024 is here hereby set aside.“
The policemen were accused of ordering the hoodlums to destroy any properties at site and attack officers on duty while the operation lasted.
Meanwhile the police have refused Akoh access to his family members and lawyers, the situation that has created concerns among the officers of the Corps.
A group, Youth Advancement Initiative (YAI) condemned Akoh's arrest and detention describing it as "unacceptable, illegal and unlawful."
The group therefore called for the immediate release of the Akoh adding that he had not committed any offence.
On his part, human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, while reacting to the arrest on his Facebook posts and other social media handles lambasted the Inspector General of Police for resorting to "arrest" in a landlord, tenancy civil case.
“It’s absolutely unbelievable that police officers from IGP’s office arrested Dickson Akoh over landlord and tenant dispute and have kept him incommunicado since 4pm today. Crazy things are truly happening," he said.