AERA President petitions Lagos Police Commissioner over assault, threats by Area P officers

The President of the Abesan Estate Residents Association (AERA), Sina Dare, has petitioned the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, demanding an urgent investigation into the alleged assault, intimidation and abuse of power by personnel of Area P Police Command.

In a petition dated November 2, 2026, Dare called for immediate protection following an alleged physical attack on him at the Area P Command on October 31, 2026, after he went to the station to report the conduct of a police officer at the Abesan Estate gate.

The AERA president alleged that the incident occurred while he was carrying out his responsibilities as a community leader during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Lagos State.

According to the petition, Dare and members of the association’s executive committee regularly station themselves at the estate’s main gate on the last Saturday of every month to direct Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) waste compaction vehicles to designated locations within the estate.

He explained that their presence was also intended to facilitate joint sanitation inspections whenever the Chairman of Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Area (LCDA) participated in the exercise.

Dare maintained that the association’s executives had never obstructed vehicular movement at the gate, describing their activities as legitimate community service in support of the Lagos State Government’s environmental sanitation programme.

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He alleged that a police officer on a motorcycle confronted the association’s executives on September 26, 2026, accusing them of obstructing movement and harassing them despite explanations about their responsibilities.

The AERA president further alleged that the same officer returned on October 31 and escalated the confrontation, ordering the community executives to stop gathering at the estate gate.

Dare said he subsequently proceeded to Area P Police Command to formally report the officer’s conduct but alleged that the officer arrived at the station ahead of him and presented a false account of the incident to other personnel.

According to the petition, he was directed to the Area Operations office, where he noticed that the officers present were not wearing name tags.

He alleged that when he attempted to leave the office, he was seized, manhandled and severely beaten by police personnel.

The community leader further claimed that one of his colleagues fled the scene after hearing the sound of a firearm being cocked, which he described as an apparent threat of lethal force.

Dare alleged that the officers initially attempted to detain him unlawfully but later forced him out of the station.

He also expressed concern over what he described as repeated threatening invitations to the police command following the incident, adding that he possessed video footage of the confrontation at the estate gate and an audio recording of one of the alleged threats.

Describing the incident as a serious threat to his safety, the AERA president called on the Commissioner of Police to launch a thorough, independent and transparent investigation into the conduct of the officer involved and all other personnel allegedly implicated in the assault, intimidation and false reporting.

He also demanded that those found culpable be identified and held accountable, warning against any attempt to cover up the incident.

“The Nigeria Police Force exists to protect citizens, not to terrorise them,” Dare stated in the petition, adding that he remained committed to his responsibilities as community leader despite the alleged intimidation.

He said he was prepared to appear before any investigative panel constituted by the police authorities and present the video and audio evidence in his possession.

The petition was copied to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, and the Officer-in-Charge of Area P Police Command for information.

Dare urged the police leadership to act swiftly, insisting that the safety of residents and community leaders depended on the authorities’ commitment to accountability and the protection of citizens’ rights.