IGP urged to halt overlapping investigations of businessman Chika Odoh by three police formations
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police to urgently intervene in what it described as overlapping investigations involving businessman Timothy Chika Odoh, also known as Chika Onwa Odo, across different formations of the Nigeria Police Force.
In a petition signed by RULAAC’s Executive Director Okechukwu Nwanguma on September 26, 2026, and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police at Force Headquarters, Abuja, it called for the consolidation and independent review of investigations involving Odoh by the Zone 2 Command, the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, and the Lagos State Police Command.
The organisation’s appeal followed a fresh invitation reportedly issued to Odoh by the Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, dated September 23.
According to RULAAC, the invitation directs Odoh to appear before the Officer-in-Charge, Zonal Rescue Squad 1, on Monday, September 28, at 10 a.m. over allegations bordering on conspiracy, stealing, threat to life and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
RULAAC said it recognises the constitutional and statutory responsibility of the police to investigate credible allegations of crime and stressed that Odoh should cooperate with any lawful investigation.
However, the organisation expressed concern that the latest invitation came against the backdrop of previous and ongoing investigations involving what it described as substantially related parties, allegations and telecommunications equipment.
The group said Zone 2 had previously investigated Odoh in 2025 over allegations concerning telecommunications batteries allegedly belonging to ATC, after which he was charged to court.
It further stated that in 2026, allegations involving telecommunications equipment became the subject of another investigation by FCID Annex Alagbon, where persons arrested at Odoh’s business premises were publicly paraded and batteries, surveillance cameras and other items were displayed as exhibits.
RULAAC said it had previously brought several allegations to the attention of senior police authorities for independent verification, including the provenance of petitions, the relationship between current complainants and earlier complaints against Odoh, alleged interference with CCTV equipment, the provenance of seized property, alleged financial demands and possible retaliation.
The organisation stressed that the allegations had not been presented as established facts and required investigation.
The situation, according to the group, escalated on September 22 when Odoh’s wife, Ogechi Juliet Chika, was arrested at their residence and his Lexus vehicle reportedly taken away.
RULAAC said Mrs. Chika was subsequently released following intervention at the level of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, but argued that the circumstances surrounding her arrest and the evidential basis for the seizure and continued retention of the vehicle required clarification.
RULAAC said the latest Zone 2 invitation had made central coordination of the various investigations increasingly necessary.
The organisation noted that the invitation did not identify the complainant, the property allegedly stolen, the person allegedly threatened, or the dates and circumstances of the alleged offences.
While acknowledging that such omissions did not, in themselves, invalidate the invitation or establish wrongdoing by the police command, RULAAC questioned whether the latest complaint was genuinely separate from previous matters or was substantially connected to the same underlying dispute.
The organisation urged the police to resolve that question before another cycle of arrests, detention, searches or seizures takes place.
“A complainant has every right to report suspected crime, and the Police have a corresponding duty to investigate,” RULAAC said. “But those legitimate processes should not become a means through which substantially the same dispute is repeatedly taken from one police formation to another, exposing an individual to serial arrests, detention, searches and seizures.”
At the same time, the organisation said consolidation of the investigations should not be used to prevent legitimate criminal investigations.
It said that if the complaints concern separate criminal incidents supported by independent evidence, they should be investigated and prosecuted where the evidence warrants it.
RULAAC asked the Inspector-General of Police to call up and consolidate relevant case files from FCID Annex Alagbon, the Lagos State Police Command and Zone 2 Command and refer them to an independent investigative team under Force Headquarters.
It also requested that the earlier 2025 Zone 2 investigation and court records be retrieved and compared with the current complaints.
According to the organisation, the review should establish whether the various cases involve separate incidents or substantially overlapping allegations, identify the roles of complainants and informants, authenticate the petitions and their dates of receipt, and independently trace the seized telecommunications equipment.
RULAAC said claims of ownership of batteries and other equipment should be tested against verifiable evidence, including serial numbers, asset registers, specific vandalised sites, incident reports, dates of theft and disposal or decommissioning records.
It also said Odoh should provide available records showing how the goods in his possession came into his possession.
The proposed review, RULAAC added, should examine allegations concerning interference with CCTV equipment, financial demands, threats or retaliation, the arrest of Odoh’s wife, seizure of the vehicle and other property, as well as the circumstances surrounding the public parade of suspects.
RULAAC said its intervention was not aimed at asking the police to take sides between Odoh and any complainant.
“We are asking the Police to choose evidence, fairness and due process,” the organisation said.
It added that if credible evidence establishes that Odoh or any other person participated in telecommunications vandalism, robbery, theft, conspiracy or knowingly received stolen property, the evidence should be presented before a competent court.
Conversely, it said that if an independent review establishes that substantially the same allegations had repeatedly been taken before different police formations, or that police processes had been improperly used as instruments of pressure or retaliation, appropriate corrective, disciplinary or criminal measures should follow.
RULAAC further called for the release of anyone against whom there was no lawful basis for continued detention and the return of vehicles, goods, telephones or other property that could not be credibly connected to an identified offence.
With Odoh expected to appear before Zone 2 Command on Monday, September 28, RULAAC urged the Inspector-General of Police to intervene before then and direct central coordination and an independent review of the investigations.
The organisation said a consolidated and independent investigation would protect the rights of complainants, suspects and investigating officers while safeguarding the credibility and institutional integrity of the Nigeria Police Force.
