Police deny assaulting young man during raid
*Odumosu
Etim Ekpimah
The Lagos State Police Command has denied assaulting a young man while carrying out raid on black spot at Ojokoro Division around 10.20 pm on August 11, 2021.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, said the video which has gone viral shows the young man bleeding from the nose after it was alleged that the injury was inflicted on him by the police.
He added that the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, after watching the video, concerned about protection of the fundamental human rights of the citizens and exhibition of professionalism by his police officers, directed an enquiry into the allegation to ascertain its veracity or falsity.
Ajisebutu noted that after the fact-finding, it was revealed that Ijaiye-Ojokoro Division carried out the raid and not Agbado Ijaiye as erroneously alleged in the video under reference.
“The video is malicious, marred by plethora of half-truths and outright falsehoods. The truth is that the police acted on credible intelligence indicating that criminals were hiding in the area where weeds and other dangerous drugs were being sold and taken by criminals who plan their next evil, criminal acts in the area.
“Consequently, upon the intelligence, the police from the said police station carried out a raid of criminal hideouts in the affected area and similar places as part of proactive strategies to prevent and curb all forms of criminal activities in the state.
“Two suspects were arrested, and substance suspected to be cannabis was recovered from them. Those who were not found with any incriminating item were immediately released while the two arrested with the exhibit have since been transferred to the NDLEA for further action in line with the spirit of interagency collaboration.
“There was no time either before or after the raid that money or any form of inducement was given. And at no time was the supposed ‘victim’ or any other person was brutalized.
“Some of the suspects arrested at the same scene are witnesses who testified, denying that anyone was beaten by the policemen who carried out the raid. The supposed ‘injured victim’ was seen walking on the street shortly after the video was done,” he said.
According to him, members of the public are, therefore, advised to discountenance the video as frivolous, malicious, and an attempt to give the dog a bad name to hang it.
The PPRO said it was a video hurriedly done to whip up emotion, intended to attract public sympathy and draw attention away from the real criminal activities being perpetuated in the area.
He said the command will not shirk its primary duty of making the state safe for all law-abiding residents regardless of the malicious allegation against the police.
