CP detains security guard who said policemen robbed him.
The police in Lagos have arrested a security guard, Olumide Aderibigbe, who recently accused two policemen of robbing him, and his uncle, Vincent Olatunde. They are being detained at the command’s headquarters, Ikeja.
It was learnt that the police had on Wednesday invited the men to make statements on the allegation that the two policemen in mufti on a motorcycle accosted Aderibigbe at Idi-Iroko area of Ikorodu Road last week Thursday and allegedly assaulted and robbed him.
But on getting to the command, Aderibigbe and Olatunde were arrested immediately and have been in detention since then.
It was learnt that the policemen are also being held and the case is being handled by the X Squad, a section charged with investigating police misdemeanour.
Although the police claimed that the matter was still being investigated, a source at the police command headquarters, who craved anonymity, said Aderibigbe and Olatunde would be charged to court for telling lies.
“The policemen said Olatunde and Aderibigbe had no right to give the identity cards of the policemen to the press. The men would be charged to court on Friday for telling lies,” the source said.
The spokesperson for the state command, Mr. Jaiyeoba Joseph, a superintendent, said when the policemen were interrogated, they denied robbing Aderibigbe but admitted that he was assaulted.
He said, “The two men were summoned but they said they did not rob Aderibigbe. Rather, it was just a misunderstanding.
“The policemen claimed they were in pursuit of armed robbers when they saw Aderibigbe and confronted him. They said they did not rob him but the confrontation was violent.”
When asked why the policemen were released after being taken to the Anthony Police Division, Joseph said they were released because the case was recorded as an assault, not robbery.
“The Divisional Police Officer, Anthony, (Mr. Ademola Raji), said when the case was booked at the counter, it was recorded as an assault because the policemen admitted that they assaulted Aderibigbe but denied robbing him,” Joseph said.
When asked if it was within the jurisdiction of the policemen to operate within that particular area, Joseph said it was inconsequential to the case.
“They were not within their jurisdiction but they got wind of a robbery and decided to do their job. Even after being taken to the Anthony Police Division, policemen there had to call the division from where those policemen came to confirm if indeed they were policemen because they had lost their identity cards,” he said.
Joseph said the arrest was ordered by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command, Yakubu Alkali.
“The CP ordered that a full scale investigation should be launched. He said both the victims and the policemen should be held until investigations were finalised,” he said.
Metro had on Tuesday reported that Aderibigbe, a security guard at Tunde Debasco Company, had alleged that the two policemen robbed and assaulted him.
Aderibigbe also alleged that the men only identified themselves as policemen after a crowd attempted to intervene.
At the scene of the incident, the identity card of one of the policemen was found, while the driving licence of the other was also seen after the crowd had dispersed.
The police in Lagos have arrested a security guard, Olumide Aderibigbe, who recently accused two policemen of robbing him, and his uncle, Vincent Olatunde. They are being detained at the command’s headquarters, Ikeja.
It was learnt that the police had on Wednesday invited the men to make statements on the allegation that the two policemen in mufti on a motorcycle accosted Aderibigbe at Idi-Iroko area of Ikorodu Road last week Thursday and allegedly assaulted and robbed him.
But on getting to the command, Aderibigbe and Olatunde were arrested immediately and have been in detention since then.
It was learnt that the policemen are also being held and the case is being handled by the X Squad, a section charged with investigating police misdemeanour.
Although the police claimed that the matter was still being investigated, a source at the police command headquarters, who craved anonymity, said Aderibigbe and Olatunde would be charged to court for telling lies.
“The policemen said Olatunde and Aderibigbe had no right to give the identity cards of the policemen to the press. The men would be charged to court on Friday for telling lies,” the source said.
The spokesperson for the state command, Mr. Jaiyeoba Joseph, a superintendent, said when the policemen were interrogated, they denied robbing Aderibigbe but admitted that he was assaulted.
He said, “The two men were summoned but they said they did not rob Aderibigbe. Rather, it was just a misunderstanding.
“The policemen claimed they were in pursuit of armed robbers when they saw Aderibigbe and confronted him. They said they did not rob him but the confrontation was violent.”
When asked why the policemen were released after being taken to the Anthony Police Division, Joseph said they were released because the case was recorded as an assault, not robbery.
“The Divisional Police Officer, Anthony, (Mr. Ademola Raji), said when the case was booked at the counter, it was recorded as an assault because the policemen admitted that they assaulted Aderibigbe but denied robbing him,” Joseph said.
When asked if it was within the jurisdiction of the policemen to operate within that particular area, Joseph said it was inconsequential to the case.
“They were not within their jurisdiction but they got wind of a robbery and decided to do their job. Even after being taken to the Anthony Police Division, policemen there had to call the division from where those policemen came to confirm if indeed they were policemen because they had lost their identity cards,” he said.
Joseph said the arrest was ordered by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command, Yakubu Alkali.
“The CP ordered that a full scale investigation should be launched. He said both the victims and the policemen should be held until investigations were finalised,” he said.
Metro had on Tuesday reported that Aderibigbe, a security guard at Tunde Debasco Company, had alleged that the two policemen robbed and assaulted him.
Aderibigbe also alleged that the men only identified themselves as policemen after a crowd attempted to intervene.
At the scene of the incident, the identity card of one of the policemen was found, while the driving licence of the other was also seen after the crowd had dispersed.
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