A Lebanese businessman, Mr. Raji Tarraf, has instituted N100 million fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.

The suit before Justice Mohammed Idris was part of his efforts to safeguard his rights. ‪

Joined as co-respondents in the suit were the Deputy Inspector General of Police at Zone 2 Police Command, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police (Interpol Alagbon), the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, as well as the Area Commander, Area F, and DSP Illesami Ogunyemi; as first to seven respondents‬.

While one Iyakubu Kabiru, Ismail Mikankan, Buba Suleiman, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC), the Commander, Group Team ‘B’, Cyber Café (EFCC), and others, were listed as eight to 13 respondents.

The Lebanese, in an affidavit in support of the motion on notice filed before the court by his lawyer, Mr. Olumide Braithwaite, is seeking an order of the court compelling all the respondents to pay him N100 million, as general damages for the psychological, physical and mental injuries he sustained over the years in the hands of the respondents.‬ ‪

He is also seeking an order of injunction restraining all the respondents, by themselves, agents, privies or any other person acting generally for them, from continuing to harass, intimidate, arrest, detain or threaten his life, invading his residence, office, or seize his property or further cause breach of his fundamental rights in any form.

Tarraf, a mechanical engineer, in the affidavit in support of the motion on notice, averred that sometime in 2013, he engaged in business as an intermediary and foreign exchange broker with one Yakubu Kabiru, who in turn was in partnership with Ismail Mikankan and Buba Sulaiman, the eight and nine respondents in the suit, and in one of the transactions, in September 19, 2013, he effected the transfer of $75, 000 USD, from Wilburn Green of 1014, Nashville, USA, to Magnolia Trading Inc. of 321, Greenfield, Dearborn, USA, (the beneficiary), into its bank JP Morgan Chase & Co. Bank, NA Detroit USA, Account Number /072000326; unfortunately, JP Morgan Chase & Co froze the account of the beneficiary without giving any reason for such action.

Consequently, Messrs Donald B. Elder LC engaged by the beneficiary wrote JP Morgan Chase & Co. regarding the frozen of the account.‬ ‪

The Lebanese who claimed to have been living in Nigeria for the past 25 years, averred further that despite having the knowledge of the freezing of the beneficiary’s account, the eight, nine and ten respondents respectively, conspired with Nigeria Police to exploit and disposed him of his money stating that sometime in November 2013, the eight respondent, Iyakubu Kabiru, filed a bogus petition containing trumped up charges of firearms and threat to life against him and that together with the assistance of Nigeria Police, he was arrested and detained for 24 hours, after which he was coerced to sign an undertaking to pay the sum of $62, 500 USD, while Area 2, Police Command, took possession of his international passport for the period of two months, leading to the restriction of his freedom of movement.‬ ‪

He also averred that the Nigeria Police in connivance with Iyakubu Kabiru and Ismaila MikanKan, the eight and ten respondents, to extort and dispossess him of N500, 000, as bribe.

While he alleged that sometime in March, 2014, the eight, nine respondents and Buba Suleman filed another petition at the Lagos office of the EFCC, and in collusion with the anti-graft agency and its commander, Group Team “B” Cyber Cafe, accused him of defrauding the eight and ten respondents the sum of $57, 000, USD and thereafter, he was detained for three days.

He further alleged that during his unlawful detention, his business partner, one Mr. Labaran, was made to sign an undertaking to pay the total sum of $28, 000 USD, for a transaction they never received valued for and enjoyed no benefit of.‬ ‪

He added that despite paying the signed undertaking amount, the eight, nine and ten respondents filed another petition, on the same matter at the Nigeria Police Force, Area 2, claiming the sum of $5, 000 USD, and consequently he received a text message from the seven respondent, DSP Ilesanmi Ogunyemi, on July 13, 2015 inviting him to attend an interview with the Commissioner of Police, Interpol, Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos, scheduled for July 6, 2015, on the bogus petition citing grounds of threat to life, stealing, conversion and fraudulent misinterpretation.‬

The Lebanese, while urging the court to grant his application, stated that he filed the suit in the interest of justice, as he will suffer grave injustice if the respondents are allowed to prevent him from entering his property, and or is allowed to disposed of same, in contravention of the terms of the Deed of Assignment vested title on him.‬ ‪

Responding to the Lebanese’s application, the first to eight respondents, the Inspector-General of Police, and his officers mentioned as defendants in the suit urged the court to dismiss the suit, as it constitute an abuse of court process.‬ ‪

The respondents in an affidavit deposed to by DSP Ilesanmi Ogunyemi, while admitting some of the applicant’s deposition, however stated that the Lebanese was only invited in respect of a petition against him by the nine respondent, Ismaila Mikankan.

He added that the Lebanese was only served with an invitation letter, and that he never appeared before Commissioner of Police, Interpol, Alagbon.‬

Therefore, the Lebanese’s application is an attempt to weep up sentiment and not to respond to the allegation made against him.‬ ‪

The EFCC, in an affidavit deposed to by a litigation officer, Afolabi Oluseyi, the deponent averred that the search he conducted revealed that there was no petition against the Lebanese in respect of any alleged transaction, which gave rise to this suit he instituted.‬ ‪

Oluseyi also averred that the Lebanese was not being investigated by the anti-graft agency, and he can never been invited, threatened, harassed, intimidated or detained by any of the EFCC’s officials and that the anti-graft agency has not commenced any investigation with respect to the applicant to warrant an investigation or arrest.‬

‪ He also averred that there is no department in the agency known or designated as “Commander, Group Team “B” Cyber Cafe.”‬

However, the presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Idris has adjourned the hearing of the application till August 4, 2015.

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