Alli Bello has threatened to sue the State Security Service for allegedly detaining him for nine days. He has also vowed to sue Mr. Kolawole James for causing his detention after he had accused him of robbing him.
Bello, who is currently observing his one year mandatory national service in Lagos State, said he was detained and questioned at the office of the State Security Service (SSS) for five days in Lagos and for four days in Abuja after he had been invited on September 17.
He got the shock of his life on September 21 at the Asokoro office of the SSS when Kolawole James told security operatives right before his eyes that he robbed him.
He said, “On September 17, three SSS operatives arrested me in Agege area of Lagos and drove me down to their office in Shangisha.
“When I was taken to Abuja SSS office, James who I had never met in my life accused me of robbing him at the Abuja Airport area after taking him and an Alhaji on a ride.
“He accused me of being the leader of a three-man armed robbery gang that dispossessed him of N250, 000, an iPAD, a BlackBerry phone, ATM cards and other personal effects.”
Alli, a graduate of Mathematics, University of Ibadan, said the allegations were baseless as he had neither been to Abuja nor driven a car all his life.
He also said he was at his place of primary assignment where he taught students preparing for General Certificate of Education Mathematics lessons on August 15, the day James claimed he was robbed.
He explained his identity was probably mistaken by James who claimed he added him on BlackBerry Messenger and got his pictures from there.
He said, “During examinations and re-examinations it was revealed that James who had worked with my sister-in-law, Toyin Bello, in Lagos was once a contact on my BlackBerry phone which she (Toyin) gave to me.
“It was realised that James must have backed up contacts on his stolen BB phone because he also claimed to have sent me friendship request which I obliged.
“All the pictures he gave to the SSS, including my name were culled from my BB contact. He also used Facebook to get my profile.”
Having detained him for nine days, Alli said he was released on bail on September 26, after one of the SSS operatives who claimed to be the head of the legal team, said he did not want an innocent man to suffer.
He said, “After releasing me on bail, they neither apologised nor formally vindicated me of all the charges. As a matter of fact, they said my detention was only part of their normal investigation process.
“Throughout the nine days I was in detention, I was made to undergo emotional and psychological torture and treated like a common criminal for what I know nothing about.
“Besides, I teach as a corps member, and I am a role model to my pupils and by the action of the SSS they have tagged me as a criminal and tarnished my image. I demand that I be cleared of all these charges by the SSS.”
Alli’s sister-in-law, Toyin Bello said she tried her best to convince James it was all a mix-up, but that James would hear nothing of such.
“I was even the one that sent to him the PIN of his lost BlackBerry phone when he needed it,” she said.
Despite investigations showing Alli was innocent, James insisted he led the robbery gang that attacked him.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, James explained how he tracked Alli.
“I synchronised the Bold 2 phone that he stole with a Storm BB phone before the incident happened.
“By virtue of this, as new contacts were entering the stolen phone I was also getting the request on my Storm BB. Fortunately for me, I added him in that process and spotted his picture.
“I had a direct confrontation with him and I am not a child to mistake him for someone else. I am surprised that he succeeded in deceiving the SSS to grant him bail.”
Following the request of his client, Alli’s lawyer, Adeniyi Adebisi forwarded a petition to the Director-General of the SSS, Ekpeyong Ita saying James’phone synchronisation argument were “fraught and baseless,” adding that it should be “seriously investigated and diagnosed.”
He also added that the action of the SSS operatives was not different from attacking an innocent person.
He said, “Our client’s nine-day detention has caused him and members of his family serious psychological trauma which they may not get out of if the record is not put straight now for future prospects.
“If he is not immediately cleared of this false allegation, we shall file for the enforcement of his fundamental rights and sue for damages.”
Reacting to the issue, the Lagos State SSS Director, Achu Olayi, said the operatives of the agency only acted on instruction that Alli should be arrested and brought to Abuja, but he didn’t say who gave the instruction.
“I don’t have facts about the issue or the offences he might have committed. Contact our Abuja office for any information relating to him,” he added.
Answering questions on why he was detained for five days in Lagos, Olayi said, “We don’t detain people for more than 48 hours and it’s not in our character to put inconveniences on Nigerians.”
So far, the National Youth Service Corps, under whose auspices serving youths are is yet to speak on the issue.
I’m in full support of d lawyer’s statement. Dis is too much 4 d corper. Why can’t d SSS carries a neat investigation without torturing d innocent? That Mr. James must be arrested 4 wrong accusation & name spoilage & he must pay 4 damages.