Lagos contractor files ₦100 million suit against wife

A Lagos-based contractor, Mr. Yusuf Tasleem, has dragged his estranged wife, Aisha Mohammed Sani, and the Nigeria Police Force to court, alleging the unlawful arrest and detention of his father, Mr. Shettima Fasasi Yusuf.

In a suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, Tasleem claims that his wife orchestrated his father’s arrest on October 12, 2024, over what he describes as a baseless accusation of child abduction. The respondents in the suit include the Nigeria Police Force, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the Area Commander of Lion Building in Lagos, and Aisha Mohammed Sani.

According to court documents, Tasleem alleges that his father was detained for three days at the Lion Building Police Station in Lagos, where he was subjected to inhumane treatment and torture. This, he claims, was done despite the pendency of a legal case concerning divorce and child custody at the Upper Area Court in Lokoja, Kogi State.

Tasleem disclosed in an affidavit that his marital troubles began when his wife allegedly became emotionally detached and neglected their three children—Khalid (10), Mohammed (8), and Hauwa (5). He noted that their marriage, which began during their polytechnic days in Kaduna, took a downward turn despite his efforts to support her education up to a master’s degree and secure her a good job.

The contractor further alleged that his wife’s late returns home left the children unattended, leading to an incident where their home nearly burned down due to a gas explosion. Tasleem stated that he moved the children to his father’s residence in Lokoja for safety and enrolled them in his father’s private school. He claimed that his father even informed Aisha about the children’s whereabouts, allowing her to visit them.

However, Tasleem said the situation escalated when officers from the Lion Building Area Command, allegedly acting on his wife’s instructions, stormed his father’s school in Lokoja. He claimed they raided the premises, dehumanized his father, and forcibly transported him to Lagos, where he was unlawfully detained.

Tasleem is seeking several legal remedies, including a declaration that the raid, the alleged abduction of his children, and the detention of his father were unconstitutional and void. He is also requesting an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from further harassment or detention of his family members and properties.

Additionally, Tasleem is demanding ₦100 million in damages for the trauma and emotional distress caused by the incident.

No date has been set for the hearing of the case.