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.
PUNCH not TheNigerialawyer learnt that 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.
Adebayo’s friend, Ajisebutu, who had a physical disability and
used crutches, was said to have been pushed to the ground when he
attempted to mediate.
Adebayo, who claimed that his fiancée was also assaulted, told
PUNCH Metro that the chamber he worked with, Kayode Oshiyemi and
Co, had not been in friendly terms with the office of the area
commander.
He said prior to the incident, the chamber had written petitions
against the area commander for allegedly fraternising with a rich
man in the state to frustrate the course of justice in a case
involving another client.
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.”
His friend, Ajisebutu, who was observing the scene, reportedly
intervened and asked the policemen to stop the assault.
He was allegedly pushed.
He said, “Based on my condition, I could not fight with them. I
saw as they were punching and hitting him with their guns. I was
trying to ask what he did wrong when they pushed me. I decided to
stay away. They were about eight policemen.”
The head of the Kayode Oshiyemi and Co. chamber, Kayode
Oshiyemi, said he had petitioned the Office of the Assistant
Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, over the assault.
The petition, dated August 13, 2017, also copied the Office of
the Attorney General, Ogun State Ministry of Justice; and the
Commissioner of Police, Ogun State.
Oshiyemi after recounting the incident, said his firm had
previously written petitions against Ajao over his alleged bias and
corrupt practices.
He said, “It is the deliberate omission of the police
authorities to act in respect of previous petitions written against
ACP Funsho Ajao that makes him feel he is untouchable. He has gone
too far this time, as it took the intervention of another police
officer, named Anthony, who recognised our client to rescue him
from being further maimed.”
He called for investigations into the incident to avert a
“looming breach of the public peace and public protest.”
The Ogun State police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, faulted
the narratives of the lawyers.
He said, “The area commander went to the place to relax and on
getting there, he met a prominent person in the community. The
person tried to introduce him to the lawyer. I don’t know if the
lawyer had known the area commander before or not. But as the man
was doing the introduction, the lawyer said there was no big deal
in meeting the area commander and should he kill himself over that?
The man doing the introduction, who is the lawyer’s brother, felt
embarrassed. The man reprimanded him for the action.
“He flared up and started abusing the area commander. It is not
possible for all that to be happening and the security details of
the area commander will just sit and watch. They queried his
manners. They wanted to get him arrested, but his brother slapped
him. The area commander would not descend low to be exchanging
words with somebody who was misbehaving in that manner.
“Is he the only lawyer in Nigeria? We have thousands of
qualified lawyers in the Nigeria Police Force as well. Before
someone will rise to the rank of an area commander, if he were a
lawyer, he would have become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.”
Abimbola condemned the disrespectful attitude of some lawyers to
police officers, saying the command would not be intimidated.
The owner of the bar, identified only as Alhaji, said the lawyer
was to blame for the fracas.
He said, “Adebayo frequents my bar and I once told him I was
going to see the area commander. He asked if I could facilitate a
meeting between them. He said the commander did not like to relate
with young lawyers.
“I had not got the chance until the area commander came to the
bar with his boys to relax. If I knew the lawyer was drunk that
night, I wouldn’t have done what I did. ‘He insulted the area
commander and the policemen were provoked. He also said a
traditional chief sitting with the police officer wore ropes around
his neck, instead of beads. The oba almost cursed him. He brought
everything on himself. I can’t take sides with him because of our
closeness.”
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.
PUNCH not TheNigerialawyer learnt that 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.
Adebayo’s friend, Ajisebutu, who had a physical disability and
used crutches, was said to have been pushed to the ground when he
attempted to mediate.
Adebayo, who claimed that his fiancée was also assaulted, told
PUNCH Metro that the chamber he worked with, Kayode Oshiyemi and
Co, had not been in friendly terms with the office of the area
commander.
He said prior to the incident, the chamber had written petitions
against the area commander for allegedly fraternising with a rich
man in the state to frustrate the course of justice in a case
involving another client.
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.”
His friend, Ajisebutu, who was observing the scene, reportedly
intervened and asked the policemen to stop the assault.
He was allegedly pushed.
He said, “Based on my condition, I could not fight with them. I
saw as they were punching and hitting him with their guns. I was
trying to ask what he did wrong when they pushed me. I decided to
stay away. They were about eight policemen.”
The head of the Kayode Oshiyemi and Co. chamber, Kayode
Oshiyemi, said he had petitioned the Office of the Assistant
Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, over the assault.
The petition, dated August 13, 2017, also copied the Office of
the Attorney General, Ogun State Ministry of Justice; and the
Commissioner of Police, Ogun State.
Oshiyemi after recounting the incident, said his firm had
previously written petitions against Ajao over his alleged bias and
corrupt practices.
He said, “It is the deliberate omission of the police
authorities to act in respect of previous petitions written against
ACP Funsho Ajao that makes him feel he is untouchable. He has gone
too far this time, as it took the intervention of another police
officer, named Anthony, who recognised our client to rescue him
from being further maimed.”
He called for investigations into the incident to avert a
“looming breach of the public peace and public protest.”
The Ogun State police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, faulted
the narratives of the lawyers.
He said, “The area commander went to the place to relax and on
getting there, he met a prominent person in the community. The
person tried to introduce him to the lawyer. I don’t know if the
lawyer had known the area commander before or not. But as the man
was doing the introduction, the lawyer said there was no big deal
in meeting the area commander and should he kill himself over that?
The man doing the introduction, who is the lawyer’s brother, felt
embarrassed. The man reprimanded him for the action.
“He flared up and started abusing the area commander. It is not
possible for all that to be happening and the security details of
the area commander will just sit and watch. They queried his
manners. They wanted to get him arrested, but his brother slapped
him. The area commander would not descend low to be exchanging
words with somebody who was misbehaving in that manner.
“Is he the only lawyer in Nigeria? We have thousands of
qualified lawyers in the Nigeria Police Force as well. Before
someone will rise to the rank of an area commander, if he were a
lawyer, he would have become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.”
Abimbola condemned the disrespectful attitude of some lawyers to
police officers, saying the command would not be intimidated.
The owner of the bar, identified only as Alhaji, said the lawyer
was to blame for the fracas.
He said, “Adebayo frequents my bar and I once told him I was
going to see the area commander. He asked if I could facilitate a
meeting between them. He said the commander did not like to relate
with young lawyers.
“I had not got the chance until the area commander came to the
bar with his boys to relax. If I knew the lawyer was drunk that
night, I wouldn’t have done what I did. ‘He insulted the area
commander and the policemen were provoked. He also said a
traditional chief sitting with the police officer wore ropes around
his neck, instead of beads. The oba almost cursed him. He brought
everything on himself. I can’t take sides with him because of our
closeness.”
Read more https://www.nairalaw.com/cops-beat-lawyers-for-disrespecting-assistant-commissioner-of-police/