Police Officers Stoned Over Extortion
CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
Some armed police officers attached to the Ikotun Division may have regretted their action after they used their patrol vehicle at a Lagos bus stop to effect the arrest of motorcycle operators popularly known as ‘Okada’ for undisclosed offences.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that they were brutally attacked and stoned like robbers over the allegation that they went there to extort money from the riders.
The incident happened at Obabuyi bus stop along Igando Road in Ikotun area under the police division.
Some of the officers reportedly sustained various degree of injuries and were hospitalised. One of the victims, Inspector Mr. Lebi Augustine was seriously battered to the extent the riders used a broken bottle to inflict injury on his head and damaged their patrol vehicle before the officers escaped.
However, the police officers later mobilised themselves, invaded the area and arrested three of the suspects while others were said to be at large.
The suspects are Rufai Rafiu, 30, Ngboke Saturday, 38 and Rufus Omoniyi, 45.
They were charged before the Magistrates court sitting in Ejigbo for felony and assault on Lebi Augstine by beating, stoning and attack him with broken bottles.
They pleaded not guilty.
The presiding Magistrate, Mr. L.K.J. Layeni granted them bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum. They were remanded in prison custody pending when they will perfect their bail condition.
The matter was adjourned till 31 January, 2018.
P.M.EXPRESS gathered from some of the operators about what transpired that led to the attack of the officers. They said that they had been subjected to various forms of intimidation, harassment and extortion despite all that their members were doing to settle them.
