A team of policemen from the Works Department of the Force Headquarters, in Lagos, has stormed the senior police officers’ quarters at the Government Reserved Area, GRA, Ikeja and allegedly looted and vandalised the residence of a retired Commissioner of Police, Chucks Enwonwu.
Eyewitnesses said the team of policemen numbering over 10 came to the retired officer’s residence at Quarter 33, Flat 2, Oba Akinjobi Street, G.R.A., Ikeja and embarked on massive vandalization and looting of the property inside the residence of the retired Commissioner of Police, who was absent at the time the operation was being carried out.
Speaking to reporters on the destruction carried out in the building, the distraught police officer told Vanguard: “It was my official quarters while I was in service. I had yet to move to the property I bought from Police Cooperative at Bank Anthony Way. The place is yet to be linked with electricity. I went several times to access the flat but I was frustrated.
A flat I paid for in tranches since 2019, so, I could not have dragged the GRA flat since it was to be demolished anytime.
“That particular day, they invaded the flat, I got calls from another retired officer saying that a Superintendent of Police, from the Works Department, led Mallams to eject me from the flat in GRA. I told him to hand over the phone to the officer leading the demolition exercise and I appealed to the officer to wait for me to send two SPOs to see him and pack my things to the new house at Bank Anthony.
“Unfortunately, he did not use his initiative and he went ahead to break into the flat and they began massive looting and vandalism of my items.
“In the end, all my valuables—cash, jewellery, clothes, property documents, NYSC and degree certificates were stolen before the two SPOs I sent to the place could pack my things. The modest estimate of my loss is over N15 million.
“When I tried to speak with the man in charge of the Works Department, he did not pick up my calls. However, he later claimed that he was sick and begged that I should forgive the officers who carried out the exercise.
“It is pertinent to point out that before the willful massive looting and vandalization of my property, no one served any notice on me. I don’t live there but have my loads there since I have yet to access the Cooperative Unit of the police because they are yet to connect light there.
“I have served the Police Force in different capacities and many places, including Commissioner of Police, Oyo State; Commissioner of Police, SPU and retired at 60 years after I was denied the exalted rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, by former Inspector General of Police, because of ethnicity.”
However, when Vanguard spoke with an officer said to be in charge of the Police Works Department in Lagos, ACP Dangana, he said: “I was the person that signed the eviction notice. Adebisi Adesola, a Superintendent of Police, led our men to the location. The directive came from the police high command to eject illegal occupants. The person in question retired two years ago which makes him an illegal occupant.
“He was supposed to leave the building six months after retirement but did not and moved to the East leaving his property locked up in the building. He told me that his valuable documents and jewellery got misplaced in the process but I was not aware of it because I was not around on the day officers went to the building.”