NHRC panel recovers man’s land title documents seized by police

The Independent Investigative Panel on allegations of human rights violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other police units set up by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), on Thursday, gave a landmark judgment in favour of a complainant, Mr Gabriel Ofoma, handing over the land title documents seized from him by officer of the Commissioner of Police Monitoring Unit of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command.

Ofoma had complained to the panel of the confiscation of who his Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of his landed property and other documents relating to the land, praying the panel to order the police to the document to him.

At the panel sitting, a police officer, Inspector Iliya, handed over the documents taken from Ofoma to the panel.

Counsel for the police, DCP James Idachaba, when asked why the documents were taken away from the complainant by the police, told the police kept the document because it was in dispute.

After the panel took over the documents, counsel for the complainant, Emmanuel Adedeji, informed the panel that Ofoma’s main request was that the panel should help him retrieve the document from the police.

Responding to this, DCP Idachaba stated that the police legal team was at the panel with a view to assisting the panel and complainants, adding that they had been doing that since the commencement of the panel sitting and would continue to do the same.

He added that since the police were not the owner of the title documents, they were not in contention or disputing the return of the documents to the complainant, adding that the person being prosecuted for theft of the document had died.

Based on this, the chairman of the panel, Justice Suleiman Galadima (retd), ordered that the documents be returned to the complainant.

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After the documents were handed over to Ofoma, Justice Galadima declared, “There is an end to every litigation. Therefore, this matter has been put to an end.”

He, however, commended the police for producing the land title document belonging to the complainant before the panel.

Justice Galadima submitted that it was important to encourage a peaceful settlement in all matters and expressed he hope that the police would keep it up.

Meanwhile, the complainant told the panel that he had nothing further against the police, as he was not joining issues with the police.

Ofoma added that his prayer before the panel was for the land title documents to be produced and handed over to him, which the panel succeeded in doing.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

NHRC panel recovers man’s land title documents seized by police