LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Civil society groups have petitioned the Police Service Commission to investigate Lagos State Police Commissioner( CP) Jimoh Moshood, over claims that activist Hassan Taiwo Soweto was abducted, assaulted, and tortured during a January protest against forced evictions.
The petition, dated March 9, 2026, was submitted by 15 organizations including Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Justice and Empowerment Initiatives (JEI), Take It Back Movement(TIB), Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), as well as the Joint Action Front (JAF).
The groups urged the commission to examine the conduct of police officers during a protest held on January 28 in Lagos, where participants demanded an end to alleged forced evictions and demolition exercises affecting parts of the state.
According to the petitioners, the demonstration attracted more than 5,000 residents from communities such as Makoko, Owode Onirin, Oworonshoki, Ajegunle. However, the coalition claimed that police officers dispersed protesters with tear gas near the Lagos State House of Assembly Complex despite reports that the rally was peaceful.
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At least two protesters and a passer-by were reportedly injured during the incident. The petition stated that one of the victims, Kafayat Muftaudeen, was hospitalized for seven days at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital after she was struck by a tear-gas canister.
Furthermore, the organizations alleged that Soweto was arrested at the protest venue before being dragged into the Assembly complex where he was blindfolded, handcuffed, and beaten by several officers. A medical report dated January 29 from Cityview Hospital reportedly confirmed he sustained injuries consistent with blunt-force trauma, including bruises, and abrasions a hematoma near the mouth.
The coalition said repeated kicks to the activist’s back worsened a pre-existing lumbar condition, citing an MRI examination that indicated severe pain when walking, bending, sitting, or standing. Since the incident, Soweto has been undergoing weekly physiotherapy sessions involving cryotherapy, TENS therapy, and lumbar stabilization exercises at a Lagos health facility.
In addition, the petition accused officers at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), of denying the activist access to his loved ones and lawyer while he was detained. Officers allegedly told him they were acting on directives from the Lagos police commissioner.
Revealing more details, the confrontation followed an exchange between Soweto Moshood during the protest when the activist questioned alleged police involvement in demolition enforcement carried out for private developers. The groups also expressed concern over reported police participation in eviction operations in communities including Makoko, Oworonshoki, and Owode Onirin where residents allegedly suffered injuries deaths.
Consequently, the organizations urged the Police Service Commission to launch an independent investigation and invite Moshood along with the other officers linked to the incident to respond to the allegations. They also asked the commission to suspend any consideration of the commissioner’s promotion while the probe is ongoing.
Moshood is among senior officers reportedly being considered for elevation to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police within the Nigeria Police Force.
“The Police Service Commission, as the constitutional body responsible for the appointment, promotion discipline of officers of the Nigeria Police Force, has a duty to uphold accountability and professionalism within the Force,” the petition stated.
The coalition argued that promoting an officer facing such allegations without a transparent inquiry could weaken public confidence in the police disciplinary system. Meanwhile, Moshood rejected the accusations in an earlier interview, insisting that officers acted professionally during the protest.
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“I don’t have any reason whatsoever to brutalize Taiwo Hassan and Dele Frank. As he has said that I as Commissioner of Police supervised his being beaten during the protest, it’s not correct. That is not true. I was not part of even when he was arrested,” Moshood said.
Attention now shifts to how the Police Service Commission responds to the petition, a move activists say will test the institution’s commitment to accountability, and human rights within Nigeria’s policing system.
Other signatories to the statement include the Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria (MOTiON), Nigeria Patriotic Front Movement (NPFM), #EndBadGovernance Movement, Lagos State, and the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR).
Also listed are Activista Nigeria, Voice of the Masses and Support for Credible Leadership (VMSCL), the Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria (FIWON) FCT Abuja Chapter, the United Campaign Against Anti-people Policies (UCAPP), and the Revolutionary Socialist Movement (RSM).
