CHRSJ Accuses Ogun Police Officers Of Illegal Arrest & Extortion

CHUKA UBAH

 A human rights group, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice, CHRSJ, is set to report the Police officers attached to Onipanu Police Station, along Otta/Idiroko Road, Obasanjo Farm area, Otta, Ogun State, to the Police authorities over illegal arrest, detention and extortion of Mr. Olufemi Timothy.

According to CHRSJ’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, the victim, Timothy, who is a member of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), was illegally arrested and detained by a Police officer, Ogbonna (Mrs.) with phone number: 08029885580 and IPO with phone number: 07055565682 over a trumped up allegation of rape.

Timothy was alleged to have raped an 8-year old Faith of No. 3, Saidi Adeleke Crescent, Baby-Ooo bus stop, Otta town. But Timothy was released on bail when he confronted the Police officers with the request of the hospital report on the subject matter. He said at that point, the Police changed the tone of the fake allegation to begin the negotiation with him (Timothy) and his two sureties.

The victim, Timothy, who was arrested on 9th January, 2020 and released on 11th of January,2020, around 7:19 pm, after the payment of N25,000 as bail fee by his two sureties Messers Oladipupo Akinniyi and Babatunde Lawal, both were also leader and members of Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) of Bore-Hole Unit office, Otta Zone in the State.

According to CHRSJ investigation on the matter, it was learnt that the purported allegation of rape levelled against Timothy was orchestrated by a man called Daddy Faith in collaboration with Police officer, Ogbonna, because both of them were family members from the same town and also aide- in- crime.

The investigation also showed that this has been the way of Daddy Faith and Ogbonna to always alleged that people in the area raped his daughter (Faith). On many occasions, it was alleged that the officer, Ogbonna, and Daddy Faith collaborated in this criminal act as a way to extort from their victims, which Timothy happened to be one of them now.

It was gathered that Ogbonna, who happened to be Divisional Crime Officer 1(DCO1), had directed the IPO on the case to ensure the collection of sum of N150,000 from Timothy and his two sureties for the settlement of the case in order to avoid transferring the matter to Court by Thursday (yesterday), adding that Ogbonna gave them the option of paying N50,000 each.

CHRSJ learnt that the three of them could not stay in their various home again since Monday because of the threat from these unprofessional Police Officers.

Independent investigation conducted by CHRSJ into the activities of these men of Nigeria Police Force in their station showed that where they did this illegal duty was not covered by their jurisdiction. But because they had been notorious in the criminal way of assignments, they hide under the guise of being officers of the Force to perpetrate many evils in the environs.

CHRSJ further learnt that the said Police officers had been notorious in the habit of using all the illegal money collected from their victims to buy motorcycles, tricycles, Mazda 323 and 626 models and so on and give out to drivers in the area to pay by installment.

Speaking on the development through a signed statement by CHRSJ’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi,Alimi Sulaiman, he urged the Police authorities in the country to closely monitor some of their officers and men in the area because if not checkmated on time, they may continue to damage the image of the Force.

Sulaiman, who doubles as Convener, Save Lagos Group (SLG), advised the new Commissioner of Police in charge of Ogun State to conduct independent investigation into the allegations levelled against his men in the area in order to confirm the truth of the matter, adding that such an investigation should not be through proxy under the guise of Public Relations Department, so as to purge the Force of corrupt officers like Ogbonna.