The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), demanding an independent investigation into the alleged role of police officers in the protracted land dispute between Okpogho Community in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State and Ostara Farms Limited.
In a petition dated June 2, 2026, and addressed to the IGP through the Director of Legal Services and Head of the Police Monitoring Unit at Force Headquarters, Abuja, the rights group accused some officers of the Enugu State Police Command, including the Officer-in-Charge of the Directorate of Legal Services, CSP Justice Attah, of alleged abuse of office, improper interference in pending litigation, harassment, intimidation and misuse of police powers in connection with the disputed land.
The petition, signed by RULAAC Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the organization was compelled to act in the public interest and in line with its mandate to promote accountability, justice, human rights and adherence to the rule of law.
According to RULAAC, the dispute arose after Ostara Farms Limited, through its principal promoter, Kingsley Tobechukwu Eze, allegedly entered into an agreement involving approximately 2,000 hectares of communal land in Okpogho Community for a consideration of N50 million. The group said a significant section of the community challenged the transaction, alleging that it was executed without broad community consent and that its terms disproportionately favored the company at the expense of local residents.
The disagreement has since resulted in multiple lawsuits currently pending before courts in Enugu State, including Suit Nos. A/24/2025, AWH/41/2022, E/299M/2025, A/58/2025, A/59/2025, A/60/2025 and A/61/2025.
Despite the ongoing court proceedings, RULAAC expressed concern that the matter has increasingly become the subject of criminal investigations and prosecutions.
“RULAAC is deeply concerned that, notwithstanding the pendency of multiple civil suits, the dispute has increasingly become the subject of criminal investigations and prosecutions in circumstances that raise legitimate questions regarding the neutrality and propriety of police intervention,” Nwanguma stated.
The organization said it had observed similarities between the Okpogho dispute and another controversial land conflict involving the communities of Obeagu Awkunanaw and Amechi Uwani in Enugu South Local Government Area and Private Estates International West Africa Limited (PEIWA), a company also allegedly linked to Kingsley Eze.
RULAAC noted that allegations emerging from both disputes suggest what it described as “a recurring reliance on police processes” in unresolved and highly contested land conflicts involving communities and private firms.
The rights group further alleged that complaints initiated by the companies were frequently handled by the Crack Squad of the Enugu State Police Command before being processed through the Directorate of Legal Services.
Of particular concern, according to RULAAC, are claims that criminal proceedings were being used to target outspoken community members opposed to the disputed land transaction.
“We are particularly troubled by allegations that criminal proceedings are being employed against vocal community members who oppose the disputed land transaction,” the petition stated.
The group said the primary criminal allegation revolves around the burning of a caterpillar belonging to the company, but alleged that rather than focusing on identifying the actual perpetrators through impartial investigations, names of prominent opponents of the land deal were allegedly supplied by the company and subsequently adopted as suspects.
“If established, such conduct would amount to a grave abuse of police processes and an improper use of the criminal justice system to suppress dissent, intimidate citizens, and secure advantage in a dispute that remains the subject of ongoing litigation,” Nwanguma said.
He stressed that the police have a constitutional obligation to act impartially and professionally and must not allow criminal processes to become instruments for advancing private interests in matters that are substantially civil in nature.
The petition also referenced developments in the PEIWA matter, including reported forgery-related charges involving persons connected to the acquisition of ancestral lands in Obeagu Awkunanaw and Amechi Uwani communities, as well as findings by the Enugu State House of Assembly Special Committee on Land Matters and Disputes, which reportedly identified irregularities in attempts to acquire those lands.
To restore confidence in the handling of the matter, RULAAC urged the IGP to direct the Police Monitoring Unit at Force Headquarters to immediately take over and review all investigations and prosecutions arising from the dispute between Ostara Farms Limited and Okpogho Community.
The organization also requested a comprehensive and independent probe into allegations of abuse of office, misconduct, bias, improper interference and misuse of police powers against CSP Justice Attah. Other demands include a review of criminal proceedings allegedly initiated without sufficient evidence and disciplinary action against any police officer found to have acted improperly.
“The Nigeria Police Force is entrusted with the duty of protecting all citizens impartially and upholding the rule of law. Public confidence in the institution depends on the assurance that police powers will not be deployed in aid of private interests or used in a manner that undermines the administration of justice,” Nwanguma stated.
He expressed confidence that the petition would receive urgent attention from the police hierarchy and that appropriate steps would be taken to safeguard the integrity of the criminal justice system and ensure justice for all parties involved.
