Female guest clashes with authorities after being ordered to vacate her accommodation.

Mrs. Khadijat Lawal, a hotel proprietor from Onitsha, and her family are seeking the intervention of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Olatunji Disu, to compel the Police Mobile Force to vacate her property, Idoko International Hotel, located at 3-3, Onitsha, in line with a court order.

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The family is also demanding payment of the outstanding debt of N21,666,667, which is part of the N50 million owed to them due to the alleged prolonged occupation of the 60-room hotel facility by PMF 54 Squadron, Onitsha, since 2009.

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The continued occupation of the hotel by the PMF 54 Squadron has resulted in significant financial loss to the Lawal family and has left the once-thriving hotel in a deplorable condition, according to Mrs. Lawal, who spoke with newsmen in Onitsha.

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Mrs. Lawal lamented that the hotel has deteriorated badly and now requires urgent renovation and maintenance, accusing the MOPOL formation occupying it of causing significant damage and turning it into an eyesore.

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The family has written several petitions to relevant authorities, including the Police Service Commission and the Force Headquarters legal department in Abuja, demanding payment of the outstanding arrears and execution of the court-issued Warrant of Possession, but their efforts have been frustrated.

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Despite taking lawful steps, the PMF 54 Squadron has refused to vacate the premises or settle the outstanding bill of N21,666,667, and the family has been denied access to conduct routine inspections of the hotel, contrary to an earlier agreement.

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Mrs. Lawal displayed copies of legal correspondence exchanged between her solicitors, Onyechi Araka and Company, and the Police Service Commission, as well as letters addressed to the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State.

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Among the documents presented were a Consent Judgment issued by the High Court of Anambra State, sitting in Onitsha, dated May 20, 2019, and a subsequent judgment delivered on January 20, 2020, by Justice D.A. Onyefulu.

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The hotel was leased to the Anambra State Government in 2008 for use as an operational base of the PMS 54 Squadron, Onitsha, which was drafted to secure the state-owned Orient Petroleum facilities, according to Mrs. Lawal.

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A dispute arose over irregular payment of rent, prompting the Lawal family to institute legal action against the Anambra State Government and the Nigerian Police Force in Suit No. 0/27/2016, before the High Court in Onitsha, which was eventually resolved through an out-of-court settlement.

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The terms of the settlement were adopted as a consent judgment by the Court, but the Anambra State Government proposed to pay N10 million as rent covering April 2021 to March 2022, while also undertaking to vacate the hotel by March 2022.

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Although the proposal was accepted, the Mobile Police men remain in occupation of the hotel to date, prompting the Lawal family's legal team to approach the court and obtain a Warrant of Possession against them.

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Mrs. Lawal is urging the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Olatunji Disu, to direct the PMF 54 Squadron to comply with the Court Warrant of Possession and vacate the hotel, as well as settle the outstanding arrears in obedience to the court orders.

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The case is seen as a test for the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Disu, who has pledged to uphold the law and prevent lawlessness, and the Lawal family hopes that he will use this case to demonstrate his commitment to justice and accountability.