The Ogun State Ministry of Justice has raised the alarm over the increasing misuse of the criminal justice system to settle disputes that are purely civil in nature, warning that the practice undermines the rule of law and violates citizens’ constitutional rights.
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The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), disclosed this in a statement issued in Abeokuta on Wednesday.
Ogungbade lamented that matters involving contracts, tenancy, domestic relationships and land ownership are increasingly being reported to the police instead of being resolved in civil courts.
“The criminal justice system is designed to investigate and prosecute genuine crimes, not to be deployed as a tool of intimidation or leverage in private disagreements,” he said.
He stressed that the use of police powers in civil disputes is unlawful and inconsistent with constitutional guarantees of personal liberty, human dignity and fair hearing.
“The existing laws expressly prohibit arrest or detention in respect of civil wrongs or breaches of contract,” the commissioner added.
According to him, beyond violating individual rights, the trend places unnecessary strain on law enforcement agencies, diverting attention and resources away from tackling actual criminal activities.
Highlighting recent interventions, the ministry disclosed that it had filed a fundamental rights enforcement action on behalf of a tenant, Mrs Aishat Idowu, who was allegedly unlawfully arrested at the instance of her landlord over a tenancy dispute.
In another case, Ogungbade said a woman was allegedly detained by the police following a personal disagreement with her partner, who also dispossessed her of property. The ministry said its intervention secured her release and the restoration of her belongings.
The commissioner further revealed that land disputes remain the most common avenue for the abuse of criminal processes.
“Petitions alleging land grabbing and police requests for legal advice on land matters are now being thoroughly screened to ensure that only cases with genuine criminal elements are prosecuted,” he said.
Reaffirming the state government’s commitment to justice and the protection of fundamental rights, Ogungbade urged residents to seek redress for civil grievances through the courts or recognised dispute resolution mechanisms rather than resorting to unlawful police involvement.
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