A former Caretaker Chairman of Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State, Babajide Jooda, has dragged the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and former Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, before the Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding N500 million damages over his declaration as a wanted person.
Jooda, in a fundamental human rights suit, alleged that the police declared him wanted based on a purportedly forged court order.
He is seeking N250 million as general damages and another N250 million as exemplary damages over what he described as unlawful actions that allegedly subjected him to embarrassment, intimidation and dehumanisation.
The former council chairman also joined the Attorney-General of the Federation, Police Service Commission, Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, Commissioner of Police, Intelligence Response Team, Abuja, former Chief Magistrate of Karu, Ahmed Ndajiwo, Registrar of the Chief Magistrate Court, Karu, Muktar Yusuf, Abass Oladipupo and 11 police officers as respondents.
Jooda was arrested alongside some other suspects in connection with the alleged murder of the reinstated chairman of Irewole Local Government Area, Remi Abass, but was subsequently released by the police.
He alleged that the police had filed separate criminal charges against him on three occasions but later withdrew the charges.
According to him, his name was eventually struck out of the criminal proceedings and he was released from custody, while another charge earlier filed before a Magistrate Court in Osun State was also abandoned by the police prosecutors.
In a case filed before an Osun Magistrate Court, marked MOS/150/2025 and dated March 11, 2025, Jooda was listed as the first defendant alongside Yekini Wahab, 26; Wakili Yakubu, 23; Ganiyu Habeeb, 32; Owoade Nureni, 62; and Abayomi Olanrewaju, 38.
However, Jooda was not listed among the defendants in another criminal case filed by the prosecution before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/170/2025 and dated October 15, 2025, listed Abubakar Kabiru, also known as Jeje; Tajudeen Opeyemi; Akeem Agbomojo; and Akintoye Olayemi as defendants.
A certified true copy of the court proceedings showed that the prosecutor, A.S. Oyeyemi, told the court that several charges had previously been filed and amended before applying to replace them with another amended charge filed on October 14, 2025.
The application was granted after the defence counsel, Sunday Adebayo, raised no objection.
Jooda said he was surprised that the police subsequently declared him wanted despite the withdrawal and amendment of the charges against him.
He alleged that the action was politically motivated.
The applicant further challenged the warrant of arrest and newspaper publications signed by Hundeyin in February 2026, which declared him wanted over alleged terrorism, illegal possession of firearms and culpable homicide.
He alleged that the court order purportedly authorising the publication was forged.
The motion on notice filed before the Federal High Court stated that Jooda was claiming N250 million general damages and N250 million exemplary damages.
The applicant alleged that the actions of the respondents had damaged his reputation and subjected him to public embarrassment.
Jooda had earlier petitioned the Minister of Police Affairs over the wanted declaration and the publications.
In the petition written by his lawyer, Chiemeka Okereke, he demanded a public apology from the police to be published within seven days, as well as N50 million compensation.
The lawyer alleged that the police obtained a warrant of arrest from a Chief Magistrate in the Federal Capital Territory in relation to an offence allegedly committed in Ikire, Osun State.
He further alleged that the warrant was subsequently discovered to be forged and that the police went ahead to publish it in the Special Police Gazette Bulletin.
The suit is now before the Federal High Court for determination.
