MEDIA Rights Agenda (MRA) has condemned the summons issued by the Delta State Police Command to Victor Ojie, leader of the Young Nigerian Rights Organization (YNRO), following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by the group to the Delta State Ministry of Lands and Survey.

In a press statement issued in Lagos on Wednesday, March 4, MRA described the police action as a gross misuse of power and a blatant attempt to intimidate and harass a citizen for lawfully exercising his right to request information under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

According to the organisation, the YNRO had filed an FOI request with the Delta State Ministry of Lands and Survey seeking access to petitions and official records relating to land disputes in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.

MRA said that rather than comply with the provisions of the FOI Act by providing the requested information within the statutory seven days or formally refusing the request based on legally permissible grounds, the ministry involved the police, leading to the issuance of a summons against Ojie.

It said that in a “Letter of Invitation” with Ref. No.: CB:3422/SID/DTS/VOL 3/153, dated March 3, 2026, signed by Ojokoh Julius, Deputy Superintendent of Police and Second-in-Command of the State Intelligence Department (SID) in Asaba, Ojie was directed to report to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, SID.

The letter stated that the invitation was issued on the directive of the command’s commissioner of police, referencing Ojie’s FOI letter titled, “Freedom of Information Request Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, Request for Access to Petitions and Records Relating to Land Disputes in Aniocha South LGA.”

The officer further instructed that upon arrival, Ojie should contact Njoku Belden, an assistant superintendent of police to facilitate the meeting with the assistant commissioner of police, scheduled for Monday, March 9, at 10:00 a.m.

In a statement signed by Ayode Longe, Deputy Executive Director of MRA, the organisation described the police action as deeply troubling and reflective of a growing pattern of abuse.

“It is an alarming trend that the Nigeria Police Force, which is tasked with enforcing the law, has become the instrument for violating the rights of citizens under the law,” Longe said, adding that “the FOI Act is a national law that grants every person a legal right to access information in the custody of any public institution.”

The MRA added that for the Delta State Police Command to treat a civil FOI request made to a public institution as a criminal matter warranting police summons represents “not only an act of professional ignorance but a deliberate assault on the legal and constitutional rights of Nigerians.”

it further noted that Section 1(2) of the FOI Act explicitly states that an applicant does not need to demonstrate any specific interest in the information being requested, stressing that there was therefore no legal basis for interrogating Ojie over the request.

The organisation also pointed out that the FOI Act clearly outlines the circumstances under which a public institution may deny access to information and the procedures to be followed in doing so, adding that issuing police invitations to information requesters is not among the mechanisms permitted by the law.

Describing the incident as a classic example of police impunity, MRA warned that the summons sent a chilling message to citizens that requesting information on land disputes or other public matters could be treated as a crime.

“This is an attempt to protect potentially corrupt interests under the guise of police procedure,” MRA said.

The organisation called on the Delta State Commissioner of Police and the Inspector-General of Police to immediately withdraw the summons and ensure that neither Ojie nor any official of the YNRO is subjected to further harassment.

MRA also urged the Attorney-General of the Federation to intervene in the matter, citing his statutory responsibility as the principal legal adviser to the Federal Government and the official mandated to oversee the implementation of the FOI Act and ensure compliance by all public institutions.

It stressed that wrongful denial of access to information constitutes an offence under the FOI Act and maintained that the police, as an institution charged with enforcing the law, have both a legal and moral obligation to ensure compliance with the Act rather than undermine it.