A Divisional Police Officer in charge of Iyaganku Division in Ibadan, Oyo State Police Command, CSP Alex Sani Gwazah, has taken a fashion designer, Lukman Adeniyi to court, after allegedly assaulting the designer physically, over the DPO’s claim that the man damaged the clothes given to him to sew.
Adeniyi was arraigned on Tuesday, November 3, at Court 8, Magistrates’ Court, Iyaganku, Ibadan in a case with suit number MI/881C/2020.
The case, which was civil in nature, was charged to court as a criminal one.
The DPO had accused the defendant of damaging his clothes worth N181,000 which he gave Adeniyi to sew in September.
Gwazah claimed that though the defendant delivered the sewn 12 pieces of clothes to him, they were made by his apprentice, which was against their agreement.
The Magistrate, Olajumoke Akande granted the defendant bail of N50,000, with two persons as surety in like sum.
She adjourned the case till November 17, for further hearing.
Before the arraignment, the defendant told the Reporters At Large on Monday that he was introduced to the DPO by one Alhaji Idris Bawa, who had been his customer for over 10 years.
Adeniyi accused the DPO of slapping him the day he went to deliver the 12 sewn materials to him, on the allegation that the clothes were not well sewn.
The fashion designer further stated that DPO, after slapping him, still collected all the 12 materials without paying him any money from the N60,000 agreed on.
On Saturday, November 1, Adeniyi said that the DPO told him to come for the money he was to be paid, only for him to be detained on Gwazah’s orders after another hard slap, which made him shed tears on how he was being treated.
He was released on bail on Monday, November 2, before he was charged to court on Tuesday.
Counsel to the defendant, Jubril Mohammed, who said that the DPO’s action was a misuse of office, expressed his belief that justice would prevail.
“You can imagine him being a judge on his case.
“He was the one who investigated his own case and made the fashion designer to write a statement in his office at Iyaganku. He was also the one who signed the charge sheet,” the lawyer said.
A human rights lawyer, Mr Ademola Salami also said that the DPO’s alleged action would be enough to make people further lose confidence in the police force.
Reporters At Large learnt that CSP Gwazah had allegedly given another fashion designer the same treatment he gave Adeniyi, as he was said to have paid N20,000 to the designer, against N40,000 that was agreed on.
Reporters At Large also heard of how the DPO allegedly slapped a Deputy Superintendent of Police about three weeks ago.
Gwazah was also alleged to have detained a dispatch rider, whom he accused of bringing his letter late to his office.
Efforts to call the DPO proved abortive, as he cut off the calls immediately he was told that he was speaking with a journalist. He also did not respond to messages sent to him.
When contacted, the police image-maker in Oyo State, SP Olugbenga Fadeyi said that the information received from DPO Iyaganku, CSP Gwazah was that it was agreed that the tailor would sew his clothes, but that he gave them to another person to sew, thereby damaging them.
“The case has since been charged to court by the DPO, who claimed the fashion designer maliciously damaged his clothes.
“Furthermore, the Commissioner of Police, Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu is looking into the matter, please,” the PPRO stated.
