The Chairman,
Public Accounts Committee,
National Assembly (Red Chambers),
3 Arms Zone,
Abuja, FCT.
Sir,
PETITION: REQUEST FOR THE SUMMONS OF THE DELTA STATE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE ILLEGAL CONFISCATION AND SALE OF MOTORCYCLES BELONGING TO NORTHERN (HAUSA/FULANI) RESIDENTS AT IBUSA IN DELTA STATE
The Young Nigerian Rights Organization (YNRO), a registered civil rights and anti-corruption advocacy group, respectfully petitions your distinguished office to summon the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, to appear before the Public Accounts Committee of the Senate to give a full account of the illegal confiscation at ibusa, Oshimili North Delta State, conversion, and sale of motorcycles belonging to law-abiding citizens, predominantly of Hausa/Fulani extraction, residing in Delta State.
Background
Following the Delta State Government’s 2024 restriction on the use of motorcycles for public transportation, officers of the Delta State Police Command reportedly went beyond the scope of the directive. Numerous eyewitness accounts and media reports indicate that the Command forcibly seized private motorcycles from Northern residents, transported them to Police facilities, and proceeded to sell them without due process, no court-issued forfeiture orders, no public auction notices, and no documented remittance of proceeds into Government accounts.
These acts constitute grave violations of:
• Section 44(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), protection of property rights;
• Sections 12, 19 & 22(5) of the ICPC Act (2000) corruption, abuse of office, and improper disposal of government/confiscated assets; and
• Sections 24 & 25 of the Police Act (2020), unlawful seizure and failure to observe judicial oversight.
Petition and Prayer
We respectfully urge this Honourable Committee to:
1. Summon the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, to appear before the Public Accounts Committee to account for:
• The number of motorcycles confiscated since 2024;
• The legal basis for their seizure; and
• The whereabouts and utilization of the proceeds from their alleged sale.
2. Direct a joint audit and investigation in collaboration with the ICPC and the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation into the financial and administrative handling of these confiscations.
3. Ensure restitution for affected citizens and disciplinary action against officers found complicit in economic sabotage or corruption.
This petition seeks to protect public accountability, promote justice, and ensure that no segment of Nigerian citizens is unfairly targeted or economically disenfranchised under the guise of law enforcement.
Take notice and Be warned:
The Delta State Government ordered confiscated motorcycles that violated the ban to be crushed, not auctioned, yet the Delta State Police Command allegedly auctioned them and failed to remit proceed to the Government of Nigeria. Any cover-up by State Actors in Delta State will trigger immediate and more criminal complaints to the ICPC, a forensic audit, more expository to the National Assembly for more summonses, civil suits for restitution, and public exposure of the cans of worms we are yet to open. THE Delta State Police Command should ensure they preserve all records because destruction or interference will be treated as obstruction of justice.
Respectfully submitted,
E-Signed:
Comrade Victor Ojei (Wong Box Nigeira)
Lead Activist/National Coordinator,
Young Nigerian Rights Organization (YNRO).
WhatsApp: +234 803 878 5262
Cc:
• The Chairman, ICPC, Abuja
• The Inspector-General of Police, Abuja
• The Chairman, Police Service Commission, Abuja
• The Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, Abuja
• The Director-General, Department of State Services, Abuja
• The Honourable Minister of Police Affairs, Abuja
