Nigerian Police Accused of Demolishing Officer’s Family Home, Harassing Wife and Children Over ₦9,000 Levy in Lagos
The Nigeria Police Force has come under serious allegations after police officers reportedly demolished the home of a serving officer’s wife and children in Lagos over a disputed ₦9,000 contribution for soakaway repairs.
Mrs. Gloria Peter, wife of Superintendent of Police (Supol) Yankee Ogba (AP No. 13589) and mother of three, told SaharaReporters that the destruction happened at the Mounted Troops Police Barracks, Ikeja, in the early hours of Saturday, July 18, 2025, while she was preparing her daughter for a technical college exam.
Mrs. Peter explained that she had been pressured by the barracks’ provost to pay ₦9,000 for soakaway repairs, despite her insistence that she neither used nor benefited from the soakaway facility. She alleged false reports were made to an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), claiming she shared the soakaway with others who contributed.
“The destruction of my home by Nigerian policemen here at the Mounted Troops Police Barracks happened without any due process,” Peter said. “They came while I was preparing my daughter for exams. After demolishing the house, the ones who used the soakaway gathered money and repaired it themselves.”
Mrs. Peter claims that after the demolition, the same officers returned the following day to disconnect her electricity and block the pipe linked to her toilet. She has reportedly reported these incidents and threats to senior police officials, including the Deputy Commissioner Administrator of Ikeja Command and the Force Headquarters Provost at Obalende, but no action has been taken.
She also shared signed complaints from other residents and photographic evidence of the demolition.
In response, Yakubu Nyat, Officer in Charge (OC) of the barracks, confirmed police involvement. He stated that Mrs. Peter was repeatedly asked to pay the ₦9,000 levy but refused, violating barracks rules. Nyat further alleged that Mrs. Peter was not the original occupant allocated the house and described her as “a stranger” unwilling to comply with regulations.
This incident adds to a rising number of complaints about abuse of power, extortion, and harassment within police barracks nationwide, where families of officers accuse provosts and commanders of wielding authority like “warlords” in housing matters.
The case highlights ongoing issues of accountability and fair treatment within Nigeria’s police housing system, raising concerns about the welfare and rights of officers’ families.
