Femi Makinde

The police at the ‘B’ Division of the Nigeria Police, Ilesa, Osun State on Tuesday, physically assaulted the secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ilesa branch, Mr. Olayinka Sokoya.

Our correspondent gathered on Thursday that the NBA scribe had gone to the police station to secure the release of one of his clients, who was allegedly detained by the police for a traffic offence.

Sokoya, on getting to the police station was said to have told the Divisional Traffic Officer, Joel Bode, that the offence which his client was being detained for was unknown to the law but this was said to have infuriated the police officer.

The insistence of the NBA secretary to see his client was said to have further annoyed the policeman who ordered the lawyer to leave the station. The lawyer was said to have refused to obey the policeman’s order, saying the police station was a public place and the officer had no right to chase him out.

The angry officer allegedly attacked Sokoya and later asked some of his subordinates to bundle him out of the station.

When contacted on the telephone by our correspondent, Sokoya confirmed the assault, saying he was treated in a hospital after the attack.

He said he was beaten and bundled out of the station on the order of the police officer and suffered injuries and also lost his wedding ring during the attack.

He said, “I went to B division of the Nigeria Police Ijamo, Ilesa to bail my client who was accused of committing the offence of hiring a fake driver. The divisional traffic officer, one Joel Bode, said I could not teach him his job when I told him that there was no offence known under our law as offence of hiring a fake driver particularly when the driver has a valid driver’s licence.

“He ordered me to leave his office when I told him I needed to see my client. He became angry and held my neck to the wall. He asked his men including one Corporal Osobu Oluwaseun, to bundle me out of the station like a common criminal and my neck was broken in the process.”

Efforts to find out what happened through the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs. Folasade Odoro, proved abortive.

The call put across to the PPRO’s telephone was not picked and the text sent to her had yet to be responded to as of the time of filing this report.

He said, “I went to B division of the Nigeria Police Ijamo, Ilesa to bail my client who was accused of committing the offence of hiring a fake driver.

Zaikon:
Nigeria police asking driver to put on inner light at 12pm

omenka:
There's no such thing as 12pm young man. It is 12noon or 12mid day.

@ post: it is highly regrettable our police who profess to be our friend have all but proven they are one of our greatest adversaries time and again. What manner of offence is that?? Hiring a "fake driver"?? Gosh!! These guys make me sick to my stomach. They should descend on those barbarians with the full force of the law.

Zaikon:
English shisha 12pm denotes noon abeg park well nd try again .

hopelink1:
aregbesola just dey brutalize everybody,he claims that nobody has power more than him both spiritually and physically

newheartub:
there is difference being stubborn and knowing what u are doing as a lawyer. demand that ur client should be taken to court than to be detent.
But police could hav used a polite way

newheartub:
there is difference being stubborn and knowing what u are doing as a lawyer. demand that ur client should be taken to court than to be detent.
But police could hav used a polite way