The police in Lagos have arrested a
chief in the Ijegun area, identified only as Ajiroba, for allegedly
assaulting a bread seller, Bukola Olasunkanmi, in the Isheri-Oshun area
of the state.
Olasunkanmi, who was seven-month-old pregnant, was allegedly flogged
several times by the chief and his thugs because she mediated in an
argument involving some levy collectors and another bread seller at the Ijegun bus stop.
Olasunkanmi, who sustained injuries, was first rushed to a private
hospital, and later taken to the Igando General Hospital.
It was gathered that the matter was reported at the Isheri Oshun division and Ajiroba was arrested by the police.
Olasunkanmi claimed that after she
reported the matter to the police, she had been receiving threat-to-life
phone calls, which made her to write a petition to the state
Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, and the Assistant
Inspector-General of Police in Zone 2, Onikan, Bala Hassan.
Olasunkanmi said she had been asked to report at the general hospital
daily for checkups to ensure that the assault did not affect the
pregnancy.
She said, “I work as a mobile bread
vendor, and the assault happened on March 11, 2016, while I was
supplying bread to a customer at the Ijegun bus stop. At a point in the
transaction, I noticed that another bread vendor had thrown her wooden
tray on the bonnet of my car.
“I realised that she was being harassed
by some local levy collectors operating in the area. I intervened by
pleading with the collectors to let her go as she strapped a baby to her
back, I said, ‘Leave this woman alone.’
“It was at this point that one Chief
Ajiroba, accompanied by four hoodlums, emerged from a corner with a cane
and began to flog me. I was beaten like a criminal at the bus stop
despite being pregnant.
“I ran to the Isheri Osun division and
reported the matter. Policemen thereafter followed me to the chief and
he was detained that day. Although the chief has apologised to me, my
fear is that strange people have been visiting my residence since the
ecounter.
“Most of them warned me that my life was
no longer safe as I dared to report a chief to the police. I want the
police to help me out and ensure that justice is served in this matter. I
go almost every day to the Igando General Hospital for checkups.”
Our correspondent gathered that the police had granted Ajiroba bail, but he was asked to still report at the station.
When contacted on the telephone, Ajiroba
said that he had not met Olasunkanmi before that day. He added that
Olasunkanmi and the bread seller were fighting and he flogged the two.
He said, “I did not know she was
pregnant. I did not know her before that day. I saw two women fighting
at the bus stop and I flogged both of them. I have been begging her to
drop this matter.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrest.
She said, “A case of assault occasioning harm was reported against the suspect.
“Investigation is ongoing. The command will ensure that justice is done.”
Source: PUNCHng
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