A civil society organisation, Initiative Against Human Rights Abuse and Torture (INAHURAT), has called for the immediate suspension of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, over his alleged ties to a suspect facing multiple charges of forgery and fraud before the Abuja Federal High Court.

 

The suspect, Bilikisu Ishaku Rebecca, also known as Rebecca Omokamo Godwin Isaac, is standing trial alongside her husband, Ishaku Isaac Yusuf, and their company, Homadil Nigeria Limited. They face allegations of forging title documents and a Power of Attorney to fraudulently sell plots of land at Guzape and Katampe districts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), worth billions of naira.

 

INAHURAT, which has been advocating justice for 79-year-old widow Hajia Colleen Mero Yesufu,the alleged rightful owner of the plots,accused the IGP of obstructing the prosecution because of his alleged relationship with the accused.

 

The group’s Coordinator, Comrade Gerald Katchy, in a statement on Monday, described the IGP’s alleged association with the suspect as “a gross abuse of privilege and office and a mockery of the criminal justice system.”

 

The statement followed the publication of full-page colour newspaper adverts sponsored by Bilikisu to felicitate with Egbetokun on his 61st birthday, a gesture INAHURAT said undermines public trust in the police.

 

“It is disturbing that while the Nigerian state is prosecuting an individual for serious allegations of forgery, the same individual publicly felicitates with the head of the police institution in such a grandiose manner. This irresponsible behaviour by the suspect and inappropriate response from the police undermines confidence in the impartiality of the justice system,” the group said.

 

INAHURAT further alleged that despite facing charges from both the Nigeria Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Bilikisu has been shielded with VIP police protection, including armed escorts, allegedly with the IGP’s approval. It also claimed she was awarded a N507 million contract in December 2023 to renovate the IGP’s guest house in Maitama, Abuja.

 

The rights group accused the police of filing “cosmetic” charges while actively sabotaging EFCC’s efforts to prosecute the case, which involves properties belonging to the widow, Yesufu.

 

It urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend IGP Egbetokun to allow for an independent investigation into the alleged relationship, the purported provision of armed protection to Bilikisu, and the reported contract award.

 

INAHURAT also demanded that the Nigeria Police Force immediately clarify the nature of the IGP’s dealings with the suspect and stop any interference in her prosecution, insisting that EFCC and the judiciary must be allowed to carry out their duties without obstruction.