Lagos Police Command deny defying court order on Nestoil premises
….Says Allegations Are “Untrue, Mischievous and Misleading”
The Lagos State Police Command on Sunday dismissed reports circulating in sections of the media alleging that the State Commissioner of Police defied a court order in relation to a dispute involving the premises of Nestoil Plc.
The Command described the claims as “untrue, unfounded and mischievous,” insisting that its officers acted strictly within the law.
In a statement made available to news men by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebesi, the police maintained that the narrative suggesting the Commissioner ignored a court directive was a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and cast aspersions on the neutrality of the police.
According to the statement, the police received the said court order at about 5:50 p.m. on Thursday, November 20, 2025. The document was immediately forwarded to the Command’s Legal Department for verification from the issuing court, with confirmation received the following evening, November 21.
“Subsequent to this, all police personnel in the premises were withdrawn immediately without any further delay in compliance with the court order,” the statement said.
The Command expressed surprise that, despite complying with the directive, some reports still accused the Commissioner of defiance. It also clarified that at no point on November 20 or 21 did the Commissioner of Police visit the Nestoil premises, let alone interfere with the enforcement of the order.
According to It, “the roles of the Police are limited to giving protection to the Court Sheriff as they carry out enforcement of court orders and ensuring the maintenance of peace, law, and order during the process,” the Command stated. “There was never a time when the Police prevented this process.”
The statement further emphasised that the Police have no legal power to seal any premises, including that of Nestoil, and only act to protect judicial officers or any persons mandated by the court.
The Command urged all parties involved in the dispute to focus on their legal processes rather than attempting to draw the Police into unnecessary controversy. It encouraged members of the public to disregard the reports, describing them as “complete falsehood, misleading, unguided, and a misrepresentation of facts.”
Reaffirming its commitment to due process, the Lagos Police Command said it remains “fully committed to upholding the rule of law, being strictly observant and obedient of court orders, and ensuring that all police actions conform with legal procedures.”
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