ONDO STATE LAWYER ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTED BY DPO WHILE SEEKING TO REPORT ₦20.4 MILLION THEFT — LEGAL FIRM DEMANDS PROBE, APOLOGY, CASE TRANSFER



By Adesakin Adefemi 

January 8, 2026

A formal petition has been filed by Lagos‑based law firm Tope Temokun Chambers with the Inspector‑General of Police, the Police Service Commission (PSC), and the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, demanding an urgent, independent investigation into the alleged assault and intimidation of one of its lawyers by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ore Division, Mr. Moses Adeduro.

The incident reportedly occurred on January 8, 2026, at the Ore Divisional Police Headquarters. According to the petition, Adedotun Emmanuel Adegoroye, Esq., a legal practitioner with Tope Temokun Chambers, accompanied his client — the Managing Director of Niret Marketing Product Company Limited — to lodge a criminal complaint of theft and unlawful conversion of company goods valued at approximately ₦20.4 million. The company’s internal audit had confirmed that several employees, acting in collusion with a supplier’s staff and driver, had stolen and sold the merchandise.

Upon arrival at the station, officers are said to have pressured the complainant to pursue an “informal settlement” rather than record a formal statement — even though suspects were already in custody. When Counsel Adegoroye objected and insisted on due process, he was summoned to the DPO’s office. There, Mr. Adeduro allegedly declared, “Lawyers are not needed at the police station,” and ordered his men to forcibly eject the lawyer. During the removal, a police officer reportedly grabbed Adegoroye by the collar and pushed him out of the building — an act captured on video and now circulating widely on social media.

Tope Temokun Chambers describes the conduct as a “grave abuse of office, an assault on a legal practitioner, and an obstruction of justice,” contravening the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended), the Police Act, Police Regulations, and the Legal Practitioners Act. The firm has formally demanded:

- An immediate, thorough and transparent investigation into the conduct of DPO Adeduro and all involved officers;

- Appropriate disciplinary sanctions in line with police service rules;

- A written apology to Counsel Adegoroye; and

- Transfer of the underlying ₦20.4 million theft case to a higher command to ensure impartiality and restore public confidence.


The petition also references credible information indicating multiple prior complaints of similar misconduct against DPO Adeduro — a pattern, the firm warns, that jeopardises the reputation of the Nigeria Police Force and calls for decisive remedial action.

“We bring this petition in the interest of justice, the rule of law, and the protection of legal practitioners and the public from intimidation,” said Principal Counsel Tope Temokun, Esq. “Lawyers must be free to discharge their duties without fear of violence or obstruction.”

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has confirmed it will launch an independent inquiry, while civil society groups — including the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) and Amnesty International Nigeria — have called for the immediate suspension of DPO Adeduro pending investigation.

Copies of the petition have been forwarded to the Inspector‑General of Police, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, the Head of the Complaint Response Unit, and the National Human Rights Commission — underscoring the firm’s resolve to pursue accountability and safeguard the integrity of the legal profession.

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