Sonnie Ekwowusi, a legal practitioner, called out officers of the Nigeria Police Force over their interference in a lawsuit related to debts between doctors and patients.
Gatekeepers News reports that he argues that such interventions lack legal foundation, as the Police do not possess the statutory authority or constitutional right to adjudicate civil matters concerning debts owed by patients to medical practitioners.
According to Ekwowusi, an officer from the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) in Panti, Yaba, Lagos, is threatening him with arrest over a lawsuit filed by several medical doctors against the Panti Police and the Federal High Court challenging the police’s involvement in a dispute between a doctor and a patient.
Ekwowusi in a statement signed on Wednesday, said: “An officer at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Panti, Yaba, Lagos has just called me and is threatening to arrest me and the Medical doctors who have sued Panti Police and others at the Federal High Court in suit No. FHC/L/C8/05/2025: Dr. BRIGHT IGBINOVA & ORS V OKECHUKWU NWAONUMA, STATE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AND INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT, PANTI, YABA, LAGOS, COMMISSIONER OF POLICE LAGOS STATE, INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE & ORS for delving into a civil dispute- debt collection and relationship between a medical doctor and his patient
“I have told the officer that our clients have approached the court and that by virtue of Section 6(6) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Nigeria Police has no statutory or constitutional right to usurp the function of the court and adjudicate on civil disputes between the citizens.
“I further told the officer that I am in chambers and that he should come there and arrest me.
“Our clients’ medical doctors are also attending to their patients in their respective hospitals. He should go there and arrest them too.
“We must put a stop to blatant illegality that has taken Nigeria administration of our criminal justice system hostage.”
Ekwowusi further called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun to call his men to order in line with the Law.
