The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu psc, has cleared the air on a trending video on the social media where a woman amidst the #EndSARS protesters accused the former Officer-in-Charge of SARS, Oyo State Command, CSP Olusola Aremu and his personnel to have killed his brother, Abass Lawal ‘m’ aged 20years in a case that was transferred to his office and also extorted a sum of #350,000 from her.
The CP Nwachukwu in a statement, signed by the spokesman of the Command, SP. Fadeyi Olugbenga and made available to Reporters At Large, stated that the accusations claimed by the said woman were never reported to Police authority in Oyo State Command for any investigation to be carried out since about four years ago.
He reiterated that the former O/C of the defunct SARS when contacted denied his involvement or any of his personnel in the killing of the woman’s senior brother, but stated that it was a calculated attempt to tarnish his image and the good works he had done over the years while he was O/C SARS, Oyo State Police Command.
The CP further stated that it was a case of Conspiracy and Armed Robbery that occurred on the 25th April 2017 at about 0115hrs, where some notorious hoodlums who were armed with a cutlass, daggers, knives and other dangerous weapons invaded the residence of one Ogundare Lekan ‘m’ at Molade Oremeji Area, Ibadan, inflicted severe machete cuts on his head and dispossessed him of cash and other valuable items. Ogundare Lekan who is a member of Oodua People’s Congress “OPC” mobilized some “OPC” members led by one Alimi Kabiru ‘m’, clamped down on the hoodlums who identified themselves as; Rasheed Kehinde’s’ and Abass Lawal ‘m’ the senior brother to the woman and arrested them within the Community and inflicted severe bodily injuries on the duo, before handing them over to the Alakia-Adelubi Divisional Police headquarters, Oyo State.
“Sequel to this, the two suspects who were later transferred to the SARS office for further investigation took ill as a result of the bodily injuries that were inflicted on them by the angry mobs and were subsequently rushed to Police Clinic Eleyele, for immediate medical attention. The first suspect Abass Lawal ‘m’ was later referred to Adeoyo State Specialist hospital, Yemetu, Ibadan where he later gave up the ghost as a result of the injuries sustained.
“Consequent upon this, the complainant, Ogundare Lekan ‘m’ and one Alimi Kabiru ‘m’ who led the angry mobs that arrested Abass Lawal was arrested by the SARS operatives and their statement obtained under caution, but they were later exonerated by the Ministry of Justice, Department of Public Prosecution for lack of evidence linking them with the offence. But, Rasheed Kehinde’s’ age 20years, the second suspect was to be charged to court for conspiracy and armed robbery. He was later charged to court as advised by DPP on the 16th May 2017.
“Furthermore, the allegation of extorting three hundred anthe fifty thousand naira could not be substantiated as the woman was only being mischievous and seeking for public sympathy; having heard that possible compensation will follow after an inquiry,” the CP clarified.
In another development, the Commissioner of Police states that the allegation levelled against Police Persoa nnel attached to the Oyo State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources as reported in the Nigerian Tribune of 19th October 2020 on the arrest of one Mrs Olayemi Sylva, a private school owner and member of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, and one of her students was not deliberate, but they are working toward the directives issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
The CP recalled that those Police personnel are only for security protection when staffs of the Ministry are carrying out their schedule of duties in the state.
He, therefore, advised the aggrieved party to channel their grievances to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources rather than focusing on the Police personnel.
The Police boss also revealed that she went to social media when she learnt of the intention of Police to charge her to court for disorderly behaviour/conduct likely to cause a breach of peace in the Police office.
