A former Caretaker Chairman of Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State, Babajide Jooda, has instituted a ₦500 million fundamental rights enforcement action against the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, a former Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, and several others over his declaration as a wanted person.
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The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CV/511/2026, was filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Jooda is challenging the legality of an arrest warrant and newspaper publications which declared him wanted in February 2026 in connection with allegations of terrorism, illegal possession of firearms and culpable homicide. He contends that the court order purportedly relied upon for the wanted notice was forged. The allegation of forgery has not yet been determined by the court.
Also joined as respondents are the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Police Service Commission, the Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Intelligence Response Team in Abuja, former Karu Chief Magistrate Ahmed Ndajiwo, the Registrar of the Chief Magistrates’ Court, Karu, Muktar Yusuf, Abass Oladipupo and 11 police officers.
Jooda’s case arose against the backdrop of investigations into the killing of Remi Abass, the reinstated chairman of Irewole Local Government Area, during the violent local government crisis in Osun State in February 2025.
Abass was killed during clashes that erupted when APC-elected council officials attempted to return to their respective local government secretariats following a Court of Appeal judgment concerning the councils. Police subsequently confirmed that six people were killed in the wider violence across the state.
Jooda was later arrested alongside other suspects in connection with the alleged killing of Abass but was subsequently released. He now argues in his rights suit that the police filed criminal proceedings against him on three occasions and later withdrew or amended the charges.
According to his supporting affidavit, his name was eventually removed from the criminal proceedings and he was released from custody. He also contends that an earlier prosecution instituted against him before an Osun State Magistrates’ Court was abandoned by police prosecutors.
Records cited in the suit show that in charge number MOS/150/2025, dated March 11, 2025, Jooda was listed as the first defendant alongside Yekini Wahab, Wakili Yakubu, Ganiyu Habeeb, Owoade Nureni and Abayomi Olanrewaju.
However, in a subsequent Federal High Court case, FHC/ABJ/CR/170/2025, dated October 15, 2025, Jooda’s name was no longer listed among the defendants.
According to a certified true copy of proceedings cited by Jooda, prosecutor A.S. Oyeyemi informed the court that an initial charge and several amended charges had been filed before seeking permission to substitute them with another amended charge dated October 14, 2025. The court granted the application after defence counsel raised no objection.
A separate report on the criminal proceedings noted that an earlier charge involving Jooda and six others was withdrawn after one of the accused persons died while awaiting trial, while four defendants were later arraigned in connection with Abass’s killing.
Jooda said he was therefore surprised that he was subsequently declared wanted after his name had ceased to appear in the later charges.
He alleges that advertorials signed by the then Force Public Relations Officer, Hundeyin, and published in national newspapers in February 2026 described him as wanted over alleged terrorism, culpable homicide and illegal possession of firearms.
A contemporaneous report of the wanted notice stated that the police listed Jooda, then aged 60, as wanted in connection with those alleged offences and identified his last known address as Ikire in Irewole Local Government Area.
Jooda contends that the warrant purportedly supporting the wanted declaration was not genuine and argues that the police action violated his fundamental rights.
He further alleges that the actions against him were politically motivated. That assertion also remains an allegation before the court, and no judicial finding has been made that the police acted for political reasons.
The former council chairman said the events subjected him to what he described as oppression, embarrassment, intimidation and dehumanisation.
He is consequently asking the Federal High Court to award him ₦250 million as general damages and another ₦250 million as exemplary damages, bringing his total claim to ₦500 million.
Before approaching the court, Jooda had also petitioned the Minister of Police Affairs over the wanted publications.
In the petition written through his lawyer, Chiemeka Okereke, he demanded a public apology within seven days and ₦50 million compensation, alleging that the publications had damaged his reputation.
His lawyer further alleged that police personnel had obtained a warrant from a Chief Magistrates’ Court in the Federal Capital Territory in relation to an offence allegedly committed in Ikire, Osun State, and later used the document in connection with a Special Police Gazette Bulletin. Jooda maintains that the warrant was forged.
The Federal High Court has yet to determine the merits of Jooda’s claims, including his allegations that the warrant was forged, that his rights were violated or that the police action was politically motivated.
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