8th December, 2010
Three men, Abiodun Fatai, 27, Raymond Ibe, 50 and Ahmed Azeez, 20, have been arrested by the police at Orile Police Division and later arraigned before a court for allegedly beating up a policeman identified as PC Osuen Bright, for doing his job.
The incident occurred at the premises of Sam Cham Company Limited situated at Amuwo Odofin area of Mile 2, Lagos.
Trouble reportedly broke out between the suspects and the policeman when Abiodun Fatai, a trailer driver, was arrested with his trailer with registration number LAGOS SP 711 KRD, for driving against traffic at Orile bus stop by the policeman.
The policeman, it was learnt, ordered the driver to drive the trailer to Orile Police Station for violating traffic rule, but instead of the driver to obey the policeman, he drove the trailer with the policeman to his company at Amuwo Odofin area where he and the two others beat him up and injured him.
On receiving information about the incident, the DPO of Orile Police Station, was said to have deployed his men to the place to rescue their colleague.
The three suspects were arrested along with the trailer driver and taken back to the station and were later charged before a Surulere Magistrate Court on a two-count charge of dangerous driving on the highway and willfully assault on a policeman, an offence contrary to Section 28 (1) Cap 172 Vol.7 of RTL Laws and punishable under Section 356 of the Criminal Code Vap C 17 Vol. 2 Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.
The two-count charge read: “That you, Abiodun Fatai, on the 25 November, 2010 at about 6 a.m. at Orile bus stop, being the driver in charge of a trailer truck with registration number LAGOS SP 711 KRD, drove same dangerously to other road users and assaulted F/No.394911 PC Osuen Bright at Sam Cham Company Limited, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, while on execution of his lawful duty.â€
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge and the presiding magistrate, Mrs. N. Tobi, granted them bail in the sum of N20,000 with two sureties each.
The magistrate also directed that the sureties must be Nigerian residents with their addresses verified, while the case was adjourned till 16 December, 2010.
—Paul Iyoghojie