Four suspects arraigned for assaulting, detaining police officer
The Nigeria Police on Monday, December 2, said it arrested three people for assaulting and detaining a cop in Lagos. The suspects - Kujembola Olawashina, 36, Kola Afolabi 42, Alade Adeyinka 26 and a female, Toyin Obide 49 - were arraigned before a chief magistrate at the Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for unlawful actions against a Police officer.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the suspects were arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy, breach of the peace, assault and obstructing police officer from performing his duty. While they pleaded not guilty to the charges read to them by the court's clerk, the police prosecutor, ASP Ezekiel Ayorinde, said the defendants and others still at large committed the offences on November 18 at Edge Base Technology, Ikeja. According to Ayorinde, the defendants acted in a manner that was likely to cause a breach of the peace by beating, obstructing and detaining a police officer attached to Area F Police Command, Ikeja. Ayorinde said the defendants also prevented the detained Police officer from executing his duty. “The complainant went to the defendants’ company to arrest one of their staff who failed to honour the police invitation in a case of fraud and stealing. The defendants prevented the complainant from arresting the suspect," Ayorinde said. He added that the arraigned suspects beat the Police officer and locked him up in a room, contravening Sections 164, 117, 174 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 and punishable under same. “When the complainant was finally freed without executing his duty, he came back with his colleagues to arrest the defendants while the others escaped," Ayorinde said. In her ruling, the chief magistrate, B.O. Osunsanmi, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N200,000 each with two sureties. The ruled that the sureties must be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government. The matter was further adjourned by the magistrate to Monday, February 17, 2020, for the commencement of trial.
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