The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu has ordered the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Michael Ogbizi to take-over the investigation of Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo.
This is ostensibly to ensure a speedy, fair and impartial investigation of alleged rape reported by Mrs. Busola Dakolo against Fatoyinbo, the senior pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA).
DIG Ogbizi will also investigate Fatoyinbo’s complaints against the Dakolos and personally supervise all aspects of the investigation to ensure justice and fair hearing for all the parties and each case treated on merit.
The IGP gave the directive in a statement yesterday by Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba.
He also ordered that the procedure, which the police operatives adopted in serving invitation letters on Timi and Busola Dakolo on Saturday, July 20, 2019, be subjected to scrutiny to ascertain its conformity with police standard operating procedure and international best practice.
The IGP’s directive came amid allegations of intimidation of the Dakolos by police officers. In reaction to the claims by singer Timi Dakolo that “some strange men” made attempts to invade his residence, First Lady Aisha Buhari called on the IGP to see that justice is done in the rape case involving Mrs. Busola Dakolo, and Pastor Fatoyinbo.
However, the police said it had only invited Timi Dakolo and his Wife Busola as part of an “investigation of a criminal conspiracy, falsehood, mischief, and threat to life.” The letter to Mr. Dakolo from the police, inviting him for questioning, signed by Mr. Kolo Yusuf, a Deputy Commissioner of Police with the Inspector General of Police Tactical Squad, Force Headquarters, Abuja, was dated July 18, 2019. In the letter, the police directed Mr. Dakolo to report for interrogation on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at 10 o’clock for “fact findings.”
But Mr. Dakolo took to his Instagram page to raise the alarm that the police summons is a sign that all is not well. He also raised an alarm over the movement of strange men in a white Toyota mini bus around his house for reasons unknown to him, saying their sight is scary. He shared the development on his Instagram page, thus, “Strange men at the house with guns.”
Timi Dakolo however, took to social media to condemn the police: “Our lawyers had told us to get ready for this letter. We have long been ready for your intimidation and dirtiness. For your Ilorin methods and underhand tactics. A pastor? Bribing investigating officials to delay summons? Paying dirty bloggers to fabricate things that cover the truth, going to the IG’s people under dark to force this case to be posted to Abuja? Now this an investigation in Abuja, when you haven’t answered to the rape case against you in Lagos? Rubbishing the legal and criminal system?
“And sending a bus load of armed policemen and shady men lying in wait to intimidate my wife and children today, forcing their way into my home? Is that how the REAL police delivers a letter? This is best you can do? This is why all the hurting women and families’ haven’t come against you? You picked the wrong one and you picked the wrong time. Nigerians are more awake than you think.
