Two policemen attached to a bank in the Okota area of Lagos State have been arrested for allegedly beating up a businessman, Damilola Durodola.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the police sergeants , identified only as Ezekiel and Haruna , were facing disciplinary actions at the command headquarters at Ikeja , Lagos .
Our correspondent learnt that Durodola, who drove a KIA vehicle , was on his way to work on Thursday when he ran into a traffic allegedly caused by a pothole in front of the bank.
He had taken the bank’ s premises to evade the traffic when he was reportedly challenged by one of the policemen, Ezekiel .
The 28 – year – old was allegedly held by the cop , who also called his colleague , Haruna , on the telephone .
The Afijo, Oyo State indigene , said he was shocked when Haruna , on arriving at the scene , broke his wing mirrors and used an iron rod to hit him in the face.
He said , “I was going to my place of work at Surulere on Thursday when I ran into traffic on Okota Road. There was a pothole in front of the bank, which motorists were avoiding . That was around 8 . 05 am .
“ I observed that the bank’ s customers ’ parking space was empty by that time , so I decided to use it to go out . I was approaching the exit when the mobile policeman , who was in a polo shirt and khaki trousers , flagged me down.
“ I thought it would be a normal conversation , so I waited . He asked me to reverse . I told him that if I did that I could cause traffic for other road users . He started hitting my car as he held on to my shirt.
“ I drove about eight blocks away from the bank. The mobile policeman brought out his phone to make a call . A few minutes later , I saw another mobile policeman arriving on a motorcycle . He had a gun and an iron rod in his hands . Without hearing anything from me, he broke my wing mirrors and whipped my eye with the iron rod . ”
The victim said a crowd mobbed the policemen and queried them for beating him up .
Durodola said while in pain , he held on to his assailant.
“ I told him that he would go nowhere for assaulting me . He cocked his gun and threatened to shoot me.
The mob fought the policemen and the bank officials came out to intervene . Shortly afterwards , a team of policemen arrived at the scene and shot into the air to disperse the crowd .
“ Suddenly, one of the policemen held me and said I was harassing a uniformed man ; they wanted to turn the case against me. The mob came back and rescued me, ” he added .
The victim said he called and narrated his ordeal to the Commander of the Rapid Response Squad , adding that the senior police officer asked him to report the case at the command headquarters in Ikeja .
PUNCH Metro learnt that the case was referred to the office of the provost , who directed some senior police officers to follow Durodola to the Okota Police Station and the bank to identify the mopols involved in the incident .
At the Okota division , the policemen on the ground allegedly gave wrong names to the team.
The names given by the bank were also reported to have conflicted with those given at the station .
“ One of the officers with us , a DSP , asked to see the details of policemen who took weapons from the armoury that morning . He observed that the names were also different. But as we were about leaving the bank premises, I saw the two policemen coming out and quickly identified them.
“ I was told that they were arrested on Friday. While one of them was detained , the second , who has an ailment , was left to seek medical attention .
“ The officer in charge of the mobile policemen at the Okota division later called to apologise to me on behalf of his men . He said he had also been affected by their action .
But the provost told me that the policemen would face the consequence of their actions . Although I would have wanted them to fix my car , but this is Nigeria and I have decided to do it myself , ” he said .
The state Police Public Relations Officer , CSP Chike Oti , said he would call back .
He had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report .
Copyright PUNCH .
