Two legal practitioners have accused policemen from the Ogun State Police Command of assault, saying they were beaten for alleged disrespect to the Ijebu Ode Police Area Commander , ACP Funsho Ajao.
According to PUNCH, the victims – Adekoya Adebayo and Sola Ajisebutu – had gone to a bar at Molipa , in the Ijebu Ode area of Ogun State , to meet a client for a business discussion.
After the discussion , the owner of the bar reportedly took Adebayo to Ajao ’ s seat in the pub , seeking to start a relationship between the lawyer and the police boss.
However , after the introduction went awry , Adebayo stormed out of the bar and was about entering into his car when a policeman allegedly accosted him.
The policeman was alleged to have queried the lawyer for not prostrating for the commander and slapped him.
He said;
“ On Sunday, August 6 , 2017 , I was heading to my house in Molipa, with my friend and fiancée in my car , when a client called that I should stop over at a bar near the Goodluck Filling Station , Molipa .
“ I got to the place around 11. 30pm because of traffic . After a brief discussion with the client , I decided to leave . The bar owner , who was a friend , grabbed my hand and said he wanted me to meet with somebody.
“ He took me to a table where the area commander was seated. There were empty beer bottles on the table. Even before the introduction , as a cultured Yoruba man , I had bowed and greeted him without knowing who he was . The bar owner said , ‘Meet the area commander ’ . We exchanged pleasantries.
“ However , I remembered that there had been a matter between the chamber I work with, and the office of the area commander. But I maintained my composure.
“ During the introduction, he got to know I worked with the Kayode Oshiyemi’ s chamber and his countenance changed . Immediately , I sensed trouble and hurried out of the bar.
“I was about to enter my car when one of the policemen, who was in mufti, asked why I was standing straight to address the area commander and that I should have prostrated. I told him the area commander was not up to a magistrate or a high court judge that we stand to address daily.
“He slapped me. The other policemen, who were in uniform, beat me and used the butts of their guns to hit me. My fiancée was also assaulted. ”
Spokesman for the Ogun state police command, Abimbola Oyeyemi spoke in defence of the area commander and argued that Ajao could have become a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) if he was a lawyer and therefore deserved some respect.
Abimbola further condemned the allegedly disrespectful attitude of some lawyers to police officers, saying the Ogun state police command would not be intimidated.
PUNCH reports that the owner of the bar, identified only as Alhaji, similarly took sides with the police, accusing the lawyer of being drunk on the day of the incident and bringing his fate upon himself.
Adebayo’s principal, Mr Kayode Oshiyemi, in his employee’s defence, said Ajao had repeatedly abused his office and it was the failure of the police authorities to investigate him that emboldened him. Oshiyemi added that he had submitted a fresh petition to the office of the assistant inspector-general of police, zone 2 and was awaiting action.(Gistreel)
