Ayodeji Arowele, a former two-term member of the Ondo State House of Assembly, has initiated legal action against the Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force. The lawsuit follows his arrest on May 16, 2026, just hours before the All Progressives Congress primaries for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency.
Represented by attorney Chief Kunle Ijalana, Arowele filed the case citing the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules. The defendants named in the suit include the Nigeria Police Force, ASP Ebito Ephraim, CSP Hilary Mazi, and Yusuf Sanya Isiaka, who is alleged to have initiated the complaint against the politician.
According to court filings, approximately 30 officers allegedly entered Arowele’s hotel room in Owo without a warrant. The former lawmaker claims he was mistreated and that his security detail, composed of NSCDC personnel, suffered injuries, including one officer losing a tooth during the encounter. Arowele was held for six hours before being released on bail at the AIG Zone 17 office in Akure, with instructions to travel to Abuja following the primary election.
Arowele contends that the timing of the arrest was a strategic attempt to impede his candidacy for the 2027 general election. He argues that even though the case has been referred to the Area Commander in Owo, police officers continue to exert pressure on him to report to Abuja. He is seeking a court declaration that the raid on his hotel room was unlawful and unconstitutional, and he is requesting 50 million Naira in damages for the violation of his rights.
