• Police commissioner accused of defying directives, denies wrongdoing
There are growing concerns over an alleged move by the Head of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Team, Abuja, Commissioner of Police Akin Fakorede, to sabotage the ministerial committee recently inaugurated by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on the River Park matter.
It was gathered that CP Fakorede made a controversial claim on the ownership of the disputed River Park Estate in Abuja, a move seen as an attempt to undermine the ministerial committee. Fakorede’s ownership claim was reportedly contained in a letter he allegedly wrote to some FCT agencies and obtained by reporters on Friday.
When contacted, Fakorede dismissed the claims as false, demanding that evidence of such allegations be made public.
“How can I undermine the ministerial committee? Am I a member of the committee? Have I spoken to any member of the committee? Please challenge them to present the report for publication and public review to support their allegations.
“These people are criminals undermining national security and integrity by compromising various institutions of government with falsified and forged documents to deceive the Nigerian public and extort money from innocent and unsuspecting members of the public,” he added.
Fakorede was said to have allegedly disregarded a directive of the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, who had ordered a further probe into the matter. It was learnt that Egbetokun, in July, ordered the reopening of investigations into the long-standing dispute.
The development was made public on July 20, 2025, in a widely reported media interview by Force spokesperson, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed that the IGP had directed a fresh probe into the matter during a meeting with the parties held at Force Headquarters on July 2, 2025.
Police sources said the move was long expected, based on the review of the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) reports. The SIP report provided a thorough, evidence-based analysis, which contradicted the now-controversial conclusions reached by Fakorede’s monitoring unit.
“But in a brazen move, Fakorede has launched a covert bid to undermine the ministerial committee recently inaugurated by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike on the estate,” a source alleged.
Documents obtained by reporters revealed that on August 7, 2025, Fakorede issued a letter (Ref: IGP Monitoring Unit/ABJ/VOL.79/25) to the Director of Land Administration, instructing that all official dealings concerning River Park be directed solely to Paulo Homes Nigeria Limited. The letter, also copied to the Director of AGIS, the Director of Development Control, and an interested party, appeared designed to pre-empt and predetermine the outcome of the committee’s work.
This directive contrasted with Wike’s public caution during the committee’s inauguration just days earlier. As reported widely in August 2025, Wike stressed that “The committee must be shielded from vested interests.” Fakorede’s letter, coming before the committee’s first sitting, was seen as a clear attempt to insert vested interests into the process.
“Also, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Fagbemi’s review is still ongoing. There is already correspondence from the Attorney-General’s office directing the Police to stay action on matters relating to the dispute pending review. Fakorede’s move, therefore, is not just insubordination, but an open defiance of Nigeria’s chief law officer,” the source added.
“The selective copying of Fakorede’s letter to Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS) and the Development Control Department, two agencies capable of altering land records, raises concerns about possible evidence tampering while the committee’s work is still in progress.”
Fakorede’s interference letter, sources said, suggested either desperation or a calculated move to launder a disputed claim through bureaucratic channels.
The top sources noted that the police authorities must “immediately suspend Fakorede from any role related to the River Park case by the Inspector General of Police.”
It will be recalled that the IGP’s meeting on July 2, 2025, provided clarity on the role of the police in the estate matter. The IGP reaffirmed that the Nigeria Police Force had no legal authority to investigate or adjudicate land disputes or company ownership, as such matters fall exclusively under the jurisdiction of the courts.
Furthermore, the IGP was briefed by Akin Fakorede, who admitted that investigations concerning allegations of forgery remain incomplete and under active review by the Attorney-General’s office. He acknowledged that further witness testimonies were still pending.
