Court order Police to pay business tycoon ₦28m for Supermarket invasion, illegal detention

By Omolade Adegbuyi

The Osun State Police Command have been asked to pay N28m to a business man whose Supermarket was invaded after he was accused of selling expired products.

The police came without any search warrant, took away goods worth over N3m, detained the Supermarket owner for 24 hours.

He was later forced to transfer the sum of ₦612,000 to a Point of Sales agent after the police extorted the sum of ₦46,500 ransacked from his pockets.

In his ruling, Osun State High Court Judge in Osogbo mandated the police to pay Mr Bamidele Famose the sum of N28,836,000 in a milestone judgment that put to rest months of persecution of the Supermarket owner who came from the United States to invest in his ancestral home but was subjected to heinous extortion by the police.

The Nigerian Human Rights Community, [NHRC] a coalition of 130 civil society and human rights groups spread across the country described the judgment as a victory for the rule of law.

In a statement after the ruling, NHRC Assistant Publicity Secretary, Fred Ojinika said the group was following the case with keen interest.

“We are glad with this judgment. The police should pay promptly without delay. Any appeal may lead to further police embarrassment,” NHRC said.

Mr Bamidele Famose who owns First Citizens Supermarket, Osogbo, took the police to court for storming his vast Supermarket where the corps carted away items they alleged had expired.

Famose sought for explanation from the police but he was instead arrested and detained.

He accused the police of the violation of his fundamental rights to liberty, privacy and property.

On January 27, 2026, he filed a suit against the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, Osun Command, DSP Tayo Lukman, Officer Nwaliu Alani, SP Akinade and Inspector Usman, who were the 1st to 6th respondents.

He accused them of rights violations. r

The 3rd to 6th respondents, who are officers of the Anti-Narcotic Unit, State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), Osun State Police Command, Osogbo, Famose stormed his supermarket on October 8, 2025 taking away some goods claming to be acting on a petition.

His plea for a search warrant was ignore as the corps forcefully took the items away.
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Famose wrote in the affidafit “Upon my arrival, I met two vehicles — a commercial minibus (commonly known as korope) painted in Osun State colours and a police patrol van — parked in front of my Supermarket by the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th respondents and other two officers of the said Anti-Narcotic Unit, whose names and ranks I could not ascertain at the material time.

He stated further that “That upon my arrival at the Supermarket, I observed that the police patrol van had been pre-loaded with various goods, including beverages and bottled
water, prior to the arrival of the respondents at my supermarket, while the officers led by DSP Tayo Lukman were at the same time carting goods from my Supermarket into the said commercial minibus (commonly known as korope).

“That upon inspecting the goods being carted away from my Supermarket, I
discovered that the goods were not expired, contrary to the Respondents’ claim, but my protest was ignored, and the respondents continued loading the unexpired goods into the commercial minibus (commonly known as korope).”

Famose said the goods taken away by the police from the Supermarket were worth ₦3,836,000.

Famose said he was detained, humiliated and extorted.

The Police Legal Officer, O.G Maduku from the Directorate of Legal Services, Osun State Police Command, said the police acted within the law.

The respondents claimed that they received a petition that the application was selling expired goods, which may affect the society. They also denied extorting the applicant.

In the reliefs sought through his counsel, Jacob Famodimu, the applicant, among others, asked for a declaration that his arrest without any prior invitation, reasonable suspicion,
or lawful justification is illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional, and a violation of his right to personal liberty.

He also sought a declaration that the invasion and search of his supermarket by the respondents without a warrant or lawful consent is illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional, and
constitutes a violation of his right to privacy under section 37 of the Constitution.

Famodimu further sought a “declaration that the seizure and carting away of the applicant’s goods
from his supermarket by the respondents without lawful authority amounts
to unlawful deprivation of property, contrary to section 44 of the Constitution.

“A declaration that the detention of the applicant in police custody without being informed of any offence known to law, without arraignment
within a reasonable time, and for the purpose of extortion is illegal, and
unconstitutional, and a violation of the applicant’s right to personal liberty
and freedom of movement under sections 35 and 41 of the Constitution.

“A declaration that the acts of extortion, coercion, intimidation and threats employed by the respondents to compel the applicant to part with his money as a condition for his release constitute inhuman and degrading
treatment, contrary to section 34 of the constitution.”

The applicant also sought an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the respondents from further arresting, detaining, harassing, or intimidating him or from further raiding his supermarket in relation to the facts of the suit or otherwise except in strict compliance with due process of law.

Famodimu sought an order
directing the respondents to refund him the total
sum of ₦658,500 being monies unlawfully extorted and directing the respondents to return forthwith to him, all
goods carted away from his supermarket, or pay the sum of ₦3,836,000 in the alternative.

“An order awarding the sum of ₦20,000,000 (Twenty Million Naira) as
general and exemplary damages against the respondents jointly and severally for the unlawful arrest, detention, extortion, humiliation, loss of business, emotional trauma and infringement of the applicant’s fundamental rights.

“An order directing the Respondents to publish a written apology to the
Applicant for the unlawful violation of his fundamental rights.”

In his judgment, Justice A.A Aderibigbe said the applicant was able to establish his case against the respondents.

Justice Aderibigbe said the applicant proved that he was not present when the respondents started carrying out their search and that the respondents failed to provide an inventory of the goods taken from the supermarket or where the applicant signed the inventory to ascertain the goods taken.

The judge also agreed with the applicant’s counsel that the arrest and detention of the applicant is without good lawful justification and amounted to a violation of his right to personal liberty and freedom of

Justice Aderibigbe said the proper agency to investigate adulterated and expired goods is NAFDAC and not the respondent, whose functions relate to narcotics and not food and beverages

“I do not see how the provisions of Section 4 of the Police Act 2020 permit the anti-narcotic section of the Nigerian police to enter and search the applicant’s premises, as well as for the purpose of enforcing food safety, which is clearly under NAFDAC,” he added.

He, thereafter, granted the payment of ₦20 million as general damages, ₦3,836,000 as the cost of the goods carted away, ₦5 million as cost of the suit and other reliefs sought by the applicant, except the order directing the respondents to refund to the applicant the total sum of ₦658,500 allegedly extorted from him.

Justice Aderibigbe said the applicant failed to provide sufficient proof to show that the respondents collected the money from him.

“The name of the sender is not shown on the receipt, nor is the name of the recipient. The date and time of the transaction are also evident on the receipt. Therefore, the allegation of extortion of money has not been proved,” the judge stated.