RULAAC fires fresh petition to IGP over arrest of Chika Onwa Odo’s wife, seizure of vehicle
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has sent a fresh petition to the Inspector-General of Police over the alleged arrest of Mrs. Ogechi Juliet Chika, wife of businessman Chika Onwa Odo, and the removal of his Lexus RX 350 from his residence in Ikorodu, Lagos.
In the complaint signed by Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, RULAAC said the development was reported to the organisation by Chika while it was still awaiting a response from the police to an earlier complaint concerning his case.
According to the organisation, Chika alleged that police officers arrived at his residence, arrested his wife and took away his Lexus RX 350, with registration number KTU 825 GE.
RULAAC said Chika reported that the officers did not identify themselves or explain the reason for the operation, his wife’s arrest or the removal of the vehicle.
It further stated that one of the young men living with Chika identified one of the officers as Johnbull Ayo, whom he knew as an Investigating Police Officer attached to the Special Weapons and Tactics unit (SWAT), Adeniji Adele, Lagos.
RULAAC also alleged that the officers first visited Chika’s former residence where they arrested the current occupant and compelled him to lead them to Chika’s present residence.
It said the circumstances surrounding the arrest and seizure raised questions requiring clarification.
It specifically asked what allegation or evidence linked Chika’s wife to the alleged offence, the legal or evidential basis for her arrest, and what connection the seized vehicle had with the investigation.
It also sought clarification on why the officers failed to disclose their identities and the purpose of the operation.
RULAAC also raised concerns over the CCTV system at Chika’s residence. The organisation said Chika was not currently in a position to confirm that the CCTV equipment had been physically damaged or tampered with. However, it said he (Chika) discovered, after checking the system through his phone, that the CCTV was no longer working or accessible remotely.
RULAAC said this had led Chika to suspect possible interference with the residential CCTV system, particularly because he had previously alleged that police officers interfered with CCTV equipment at his business premises during an earlier operation.
The organisation stressed that the latest CCTV concern should be independently verified rather than treated as an established fact.
It said the status of CCTV equipment and recordings at both the residence and business premises could be important to the investigation and should therefore be independently established.
RULAAC also expressed concern about what it described as the appearance of possible retaliation following Chika’s earlier complaints concerning the arrest of some of his workers by SWAT and their subsequent public parade by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the FCID Annex, Alagbon.
According to RULAAC, the earlier public parade had raised questions about the presumption of innocence and fair hearing.
“If there is credible evidence against Chika, the police have a duty to investigate it professionally and proceed according to law,” Nwanguma stated in the complaint.
He added that investigations should follow evidence and due process, arguing that relatives should not be arrested or property seized merely as leverage against a suspect.
RULAAC said the disputed accounts surrounding the investigation made transparency particularly important, insisting that every arrest, search and seizure should be lawful, properly documented and open to independent scrutiny.
RULAAC requested urgent clarification from the Inspector-General of Police on the latest operation, including the whereabouts and status of Mrs. Ogechi Juliet Chika; the legal and evidential basis for her arrest; and the whereabouts and status of the Lexus RX 350.
It also asked the police to disclose the identities and units of the officers involved in the operation and clarify whether anything was done to the CCTV installation or recording system at Chika’s residence.
