Court Stops Police From Arresting OAP Nedu Wazobia Over Contract Dispute
The Federal High Court in Lagos has stopped the Inspector-General of Police and other senior officers from arresting, detaining, or questioning popular comedian and on-air personality, Chinedu Emmanuel Ani, widely known as Nedu Wazobia, over a business dispute.
Justice D.I. Dipeolu granted the order after Nedu and five others filed an application to protect their fundamental rights. The court directed the police not to summon or detain them while the main case is being heard.
The dispute involves the Metropolitan School of Business and Management, Mr. Victor Ariyibi-Oke, and Mrs. Tolulope Ariyibi-Oke, who had partnered with Nedu’s team on a charity project in 2024. The project, aimed at raising school fees for underprivileged students, included a high-profile fundraising gala estimated at over N83 million.
Although the event was successful and generated donations, the respondents later demanded a refund of N60 million without clear reason. After the disagreement, they petitioned the police, leading to repeated summons and alleged harassment of Nedu and his team.
The applicants told the court that the police had already investigated the matter for nine months and issued a report clearing them of criminal liability. The police legal department also confirmed that the case was a civil contractual issue and should be resolved in court.
Despite this, another petition was secretly submitted, and a new police team allegedly ignored the earlier advice, re-investigated the matter, and continued to intimidate the applicants. They also claimed that some of them were unlawfully detained in July 2025, while others had their passports seized.
Through their lawyer, they argued that the police actions were unlawful and amounted to an abuse of power. They also asked the court to order the return of their passports and stop further harassment.
In addition, they are demanding N2 billion in damages from the respondents for violating their fundamental rights.
The case will continue in the coming weeks as the court hears the substantive motion.
