…Nabs Police Officers Caught On Camera Assaulting Lawyer
The Lagos State Police Command on Thursday warned members of some unlawful secret societies including Aiye, Eiye, Black Axe, Buccaneers, etc. planning to converge in several undisclosed locations within their domain on Saturday, July 7 to shelve their plan or risk arrest and the full weight of the law.
The State’s Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal in a statement said the Command had received credible intelligence that some members of cult groups were going about town serving notices to rival cult gangs on their planned meeting on the said day.
Edgal warned that any such gathering by members of the unlawful society would be viewed as an unlawful assembly with the intent to commit felony, adding that those who go ahead would be visited with the full weight of the law.
“The authorities of the Lagos State Police Command have received credible intelligence that members of some unlawful societies such as the Aiye, Eiye, Black Axe, Buccaneers, etc. are going round town serving notices to rival cult gangs in the neighbourhood that they would be converging on Saturday 7/7/ 2018 at yet to be disclosed locations within their domains.
“According to available information, the 7th day of the 7th month is sacred to these outlaws. It is also a day they settle scores with rival cult groups and a day of outright brigandage and anomie,” the CP said.
He reiterated that no cult group would be allowed to compromise the peace daily nurtured by men and women of goodwill in the State and maintained by the Police.
He, therefore, urged members of the public not to hesitate to blow the whistle on these brigands anywhere they are found.
In the same vein, the CP urged parents to warn their children who are members of these nefarious associations not only to renounce cultism, but denounce it in all its ramifications.
Meanwhile, the State Police Command said it has arrested the police officers seen in a video assaulting a young lawyer said to be demanding for his salary.
A certain video posted by an online media had circulated with the caption “SARS officers assault young lawyer allegedly demanding for his salary in Lagos”.
Edgal, immediately constituted an investigation panel to look into the allegation, while findings into the case revealed that the officers in the video were not SARS operatives as alleged but conventional policemen attached to Lion Building Police Station who were invited to the chambers of Olawore & Co of No 28/30 Macarty Street, Lagos Island by the managing partner, Barrister Oluyomi Olawore.
Olawore had sent a distress call to the police through one of his junior partners, requesting that he be rescued from another junior partner, Barrister Olakunle Kareem whom he alleged was about to use unlawful force on him having disconnected the Firms’ CCTV cameras and locked up all doors leading into the firm and by so doing, held Barrister Olawore hostage inside his office.
It was based on the complaint that the DPO in charge of Lion Building dispatched policemen to the troubled chamber to bring the feuding lawyers over for interrogation. However, the Commissioner of Police, observed with dismay that the policemen sent to the scene were not at their professional best.
The CP, therefore, ordered that the policemen who had been arrested, be tried on oath to determine their punishment, while also directing that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Lion Building be queried for lack of supervision.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, SCIID Panti Yaba has been directed to take over investigation of the case and critically look into the matter concerning the two lawyers with the view to diligently prosecute both or anyone of them found wanting.
