A coalition of civil society organisations has petitioned the Police Service Commission (PSC) to investigate the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, over allegations of abduction, torture and unlawful detention of activist Mr. Hassan Taiwo Soweto during a protest in January.
The petition, dated March 9, 2026, was signed by 15 organisations including the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Justice and Empowerment Initiatives (JEI), Take It Back (TIB), the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), and the Joint Action Front (JAF), among others.
Addressed to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, the groups alleged that the Commissioner ordered officers to disperse protesters with tear gas and subsequently supervised the arrest and assault of Soweto during a demonstration held on January 28.
According to the petitioners, the protest, which drew more than 5,000 participants from communities such as Makoko, Owode Onirin, Oworonshoki and Ajegunle, was organised to demand an end to forced evictions and demolitions in parts of Lagos State.
They claimed that despite reports that the protest was peaceful, police officers fired tear gas at the crowd near the Lagos State House of Assembly complex in Alausa, injuring at least two protesters and a passer-by.
One of the injured protesters, Kafayat Muftaudeen, was reportedly hospitalised for seven days at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital after being struck by a tear-gas canister, the petition stated.
The organisations further alleged that Soweto was arrested at the protest venue and dragged into the Assembly complex, where he was blindfolded, handcuffed and beaten by several officers.
The petition cited a medical report dated January 29, 2026, from Cityview Hospital in Ogba, Lagos, which reportedly confirmed that the activist sustained multiple injuries consistent with blunt-force trauma, including bruises, abrasions and a hematoma near the mouth.
The groups also said repeated kicks to Soweto’s back aggravated a previous lumbar condition, according to an MRI examination, leaving him with severe pain when walking, bending, sitting or standing.
They added that the activist has since been undergoing weekly physiotherapy sessions involving cryotherapy, TENS therapy and lumbar stabilisation exercises at a Lagos health facility.
The coalition also alleged that while Soweto was detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Panti, he was denied access to his lawyer and family members.
According to the petition, officers told him they were acting on the orders of the Lagos police commissioner.
The organisations further claimed that the confrontation occurred after the activist challenged the commissioner during the protest over alleged police involvement in enforcing demolitions and evictions on behalf of land developers.
They also raised concerns about reports of police participation in violent eviction operations in communities such as Makoko, Oworonshoki and Owode Onirin, where residents allegedly suffered injuries and deaths during demolition enforcement operations.
The petitioners urged the Police Service Commission to immediately institute an independent investigation into the incident and invite Moshood and other officers involved to respond to the allegations.
They also asked the commission to suspend any consideration of the commissioner’s promotion pending the outcome of the investigation.
Moshood is reportedly among senior officers currently being considered for elevation to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police.
The civil society groups argued that promoting an officer facing such allegations without a transparent probe could undermine public confidence in the police disciplinary system.
“The Police Service Commission, as the constitutional body responsible for the appointment, promotion and discipline of officers of the Nigeria Police Force, has a duty to uphold accountability and professionalism within the Force,” the petition stated.
The organisations added that the manner in which the commission handles the petition would send an important signal about its commitment to police accountability and human rights.
But in an interview in January, Commissioner Moshood said the police acted professionally during the protest, dismissing claims that Soweto was assaulted by officers deployed to the area.
“Ï don’t have any reason whatsoever to brutalise 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.
Other signatories to the statement include The Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria (MOTiON), Nigeria Patriotic Front Movement (NPFM), #EndBadGovernance Movement, Lagos State, President, The Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR), Activista Nigeria, Voice of the Masses and Support for Credible Leadership (VMSCL), Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria (FIWON) FCT Abuja Chapter, United Campaign Against Anti-people Policies (UCAPP) and Revolutionary Socialist Movement (RSM).
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