Printer attacked, detained after attending wedding in UNILAG

A printer, Oriyomi Olubode, and the leader of the neighbourhood security watch in the Jibowu area of Lagos, Toheeb Sodiq, have been having a raw deal in the hands of the police in Lagos State.

Olubode, whose residence is on Alade Street in Somolu, was allegedly brutalised by some hoodlums at Abule-Oja, while Sodiq has languished in detention since June 16 for a yet to be known offence.

Narrating his ordeal in the hands of his assailants, Olubode said, “I was

attacked at about 6.30 pm last Saturday on my way from a wedding ceremony that took place at the University of Lagos in company with two friends of mine. We ran into some hoodlums in Abuke-Oja.

“They forced me out of the car. I was beaten mercilessly.My offence was that I was the friend of the branch chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Somolu, Ibrahim Adeyeye.

“One of them named Femi Akinboyeku, said Adeyeye had stopped remitting money to him and had parted ways with him. At gun point, I was ordered to climb on a motorcycle and was taken to an abandoned building on Shiro Street in Fadeyi. As soon as we entered the building, Femi made a phone call to a policeman, one Inspector Rasaq Toheeb.” A Nokia phone worth N12,500, a wrist watch worth N20,000, a neck chain worth N68000 and N106,000 cash which were on Olubode at the time, were allegedly seized from him.

Olubode noted that Femi, whom the police had declared wanted, was in company with Ibrahim Balogun, aka Small Jpron.

When Toheeb arrived at the uncompleted building, he heard Jpron telling his men, who were unnerved by the presence of the police officer, that the latter was their ‘man.’

“Femi, stopped his men from running. He told them that Toheeb and Deputy Commissioner Police, were their men. He also said he had called the top police officer and had asked him to arrest and label me a criminal,” Olubode said.

After assaulting Olubode, Inspector Toheeb allegedly dragged him to Alakara Police Station. When his colleagues there refused to detain Olubode, Toheeb allegedly proceeded to the Zone D Area Command. Again the policemen on duty rejected Olubode because of his condition and refused to detain him.

In exasperation, Toheeb was said to have taken Olubode to the Lagos State Police Command, where he was handed over to some policemen in mufti.

“I was injured and bleeding, until about 12.30 am on Sunday when I was released to an uncle of mine who told me he had put a call to the police officer. It was after my uncle had spoken to him that Toheeb was directed to release me,” Olubode said.

Culled- Punch