The Lagos State Police Command has denied allegations that it is shielding a 38-year-old principal suspect in an alleged double murder case.
Police authorities said the investigation and all actions taken in the matter followed due process and complied with relevant court directives.
A senior police source said the Inspector-General of Police ordered a full review of the case on January 8 after receiving a formal petition from the Ojomu Chieftaincy family.
According to the source, the directive was carried out under the then Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, who is now an Assistant Inspector-General of Police.
The source said investigators attached to a tactical team at the State Police Headquarters, Ikeja, completed their investigation and submitted recommendations to the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
The police said once a case file is transmitted to the DPP, authorised persons, including lawyers, may access relevant documents through lawful judicial processes.
The source explained that some sensitive materials linked to the investigation had already left police custody before the case file was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, for further work.
According to the police, this timeline contradicts claims that documents were altered or leaked only after the matter was moved to SCID Panti.
The source further said that after SCID Panti submitted a supplementary case file to the DPP, counsel to the principal suspect requested certified true copies of the case file, including documents on exhibits and recovered evidence.
The request was reportedly declined by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of SCID Panti, Dayo Akinbisehin, who referred the lawyer to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani.
The source said the commissioner also declined the request.
Police claimed the lawyer later filed a bail application before an Ikeja High Court and attached copies of the same case file after obtaining the documents from the DPP through a court-approved process.
The source maintained that the documents were accessed through lawful judicial channels and were not leaked by the police.
The police also dismissed allegations that the principal suspect was being secretly protected.
According to the source, the suspect remained in police custody because of a court order issued after his health reportedly deteriorated while he was in a correctional centre.
The court was said to have directed that he remain under police supervision while receiving treatment at a federal medical facility until he became medically fit to stand trial.
The police said obeying the court order was mandatory and did not stop the prosecution from continuing.
The source added that investigation and prosecution were still proceeding in line with legal procedures, while the substantive hearing remained scheduled for November.
The clarification followed a news conference held in Ikeja by a coalition of civil society organisations, which accused SCID Panti of shielding the principal suspect.
The coalition alleged that the suspect was linked to the deaths of two residents between February 2023 and August 2024 in Ajiran community, Eti-Osa area of Lagos State.
Speaking for the coalition, the Coordinator of the Centre for Advocacy for Credible Leadership, Femi Lawnson, accused some SCID operatives of bias and interference.
He alleged that certain actions by officers could compromise evidence in the case.
Lawnson called on the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the conduct of officers involved and sanction anyone found culpable.
He also urged the police to remain neutral and professional in handling the matter.
The coalition further questioned the suspect’s custodial status and asked for clarification on alleged non-compliance with court orders directing his remand in a correctional centre.
Lawnson also alleged that some individuals and online commentators were attempting to portray the principal suspect as a victim despite his status in the murder case.
He insisted that justice must be served for the victims and that no suspect should escape accountability because of status or influence.
The investigation reportedly gained momentum after fresh intelligence led to the arrest of two suspects known as Fabo and Bariga between January 24 and February 8.
Police later declared the 38-year-old principal suspect wanted on February 20 after the arrested suspects allegedly linked him to the killings and he fled the country.
Following months of intelligence gathering and cross-border surveillance, INTERPOL operatives arrested him in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, on April 15 and returned him to Nigeria to face trial.
The case has since become controversial as it moved from the Chief Magistrate Court in Ogba to the Lagos State High Court.
The matter has also drawn community protests, allegations of judicial interference and public criticism of the police investigation.
Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has been among those who criticised the handling of the case and questioned the integrity of the process.
The police, however, maintained that the matter is being handled in accordance with the law and court directives.
