A legal practitioner, Adedotun Ajulo, counsel to Alhaji Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi, has called for mandatory legal training for officers appointed to head the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, arguing that the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of the unit should only be occupied by officers with a sound understanding of constitutional and criminal law.
Ajulo made the call in a statement issued in response to a publication allegedly released on behalf of the Lagos State Police Command, which accused him of leaking what it described as a "classified" investigation file relating to his client.
Rejecting the allegation, the lawyer described the publication as "spurious" and "baseless," saying he was compelled to respond because the issues raised extend beyond his person and affect the administration of criminal justice in Nigeria.
According to him, the controversy underscores the need for senior police officers heading investigative formations to undergo compulsory legal training in criminal procedure, constitutional law, the law of evidence, disclosure obligations and fair hearing before assuming office.
Ajulo argued that the office of the DCP, SCID, Panti, is not merely administrative but serves as the nerve centre of criminal investigations in Lagos, with decisions that directly affect the liberty and constitutional rights of citizens.
"The occupant must possess not only investigative experience but also a sound appreciation of the constitutional and statutory safeguards governing criminal investigations and prosecutions," he said.
The lawyer maintained that he had discharged his duties as counsel to Akanbi in accordance with the Constitution, the Administration of Criminal Justice Law and the Rules of Professional Conduct for legal practitioners.
He also alleged that his client had been subjected to degrading treatment while in police custody following his arrest on April 17, 2026, including prolonged restraint with hand and leg chains and detention under poor conditions until the reported intervention of the Inspector-General of Police.
Ajulo said the allegations warrant an independent investigation by the Police Service Commission.
He disclosed that after police concluded their investigation and forwarded the duplicate case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the defence formally requested Certified True Copies of the investigation file, witness statements, investigation reports and other relevant documents to prepare for trial, as well as the release of his client's Lexus Sports Utility Vehicle.
According to him, the requests were denied.
He, however, claimed that substantial portions of the investigation report later appeared on various media platforms, creating what he described as a contradiction in the police's position.
Ajulo dismissed claims that he leaked a classified file by attaching documents to an application before the High Court, insisting that the documents relied upon had already been circulating on social media.
"There is nothing 'classified' about an investigation file relating to an accused person whose trial has commenced before a court of competent jurisdiction," he stated.
He argued that Section 36 of the Constitution guarantees every accused person adequate facilities to prepare a defence, including access to materials the prosecution intends to rely upon.
The lawyer described as troubling what he called the refusal of the investigating authorities to provide certified copies of the documents to the defence while the same materials allegedly became available to third parties.
He said his legal team would invite judicial and oversight authorities to examine how portions of the investigation file allegedly found their way into the public domain during the pendency of the investigation.
Ajulo further maintained that the matter raises broader concerns about the understanding of constitutional safeguards by senior police officers overseeing criminal investigations.
He said mandatory legal education for senior investigators would strengthen criminal investigations, improve prosecutions, reduce civil liability against the Nigeria Police Force and enhance public confidence in the justice system.
The lawyer reaffirmed his commitment to defending his client within the bounds of the law, adding that appropriate judicial processes would be initiated to challenge any action considered to undermine constitutional guarantees or the fair administration of justice.
The Lagos State Police Command had reportedly accused Ajulo of leaking a classified investigation file, an allegation he firmly denied in the statement.
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