He noted that when it was time for him to take his drugs for typhoid fever, the policemen prevented him from accessing his vehicle which made him to slump onto the floor.
A student of the University of Lagos, John Akinwale, who slumped after being assaulted by police officers in the Mosafejo area of Oshodi, Lagos State, on Monday, has narrated his ordeal, saying the policemen demanded N20,000 as bail.
Akinwale had reportedly landed in the hospital after power-drunk policemen tortured him till he went into a coma on Monday.
SaharaReporters had exclusively reported that Akinwale was arrested on Monday around 2pm, after he bought fuel at a filling station and was sighted by policemen attached to the Mosafejo division.
Akinwale had been arrested for having a “covered number plate.”
After the extortion, the policemen, not done, had beaten Akinwale till he went into a coma, for being “rude” after which he was taken to hospital.
Speaking with SaharaReporters in an interview, Akinwale narrated that it was the Mosafejo Divisional Police Officer that ordered his detention.[story_link align="left"]89160[/story_link]
He noted that when it was time for him to take his drugs for typhoid fever, the policemen prevented him from accessing his vehicle which made him to slump onto the floor.
The student-cum-interior decorator said, “The policemen stopped me and accused me of having a covered number plate. They asked me for my licence and registration, I gave them. They asked me to open my trunk, I did. The next thing they said was that my number plate was covered. I said it wasn't because it was glaring.
"The place was close to the station and I always had this mentality that I would never pay a dime to anybody, because if we want to build a better society, then we shouldn't be doing anything contrary to what we are advocating for.
"The policeman said I should drive to the station; I was pissed off. I drove into the station and immediately, he called a vulcaniser to deflate my car tyre and at that point, I became really pissed off. On what grounds would my tyre be deflated?"
Akinwale said the police officer asked him to call anyone he knew and as the issue was getting out of hand, he decided to video the incident.
According to him, the Divisional Police Officer called him (Akinwale) to explain what happened and after this, the DPO requested that he be detained.
"The DPO called me and asked me what the problem was, I was explaining to him but because I was angry, he said I was talking too much and I prostrated (myself on the ground) and apologised. The next thing he said was that they should go and take my statement and be detained.”
Akinwale said the police officers took his phone and car keys from him.
He said he later requested for his phone so he could reach out to people.
He also said he had called a friend – an action the DPO described as 'rude'.
According to Akinwale, the police had written a detention order for him, having done no wrong.
He also alleged that a female police officer requested for N50,000 bail from his friend but the latter insisted on giving her N20,000, which was declined.
He continued, "I have not been well for a couple of weeks. I've been on typhoid drugs. I have a drug I use after every 12 hours but because I was late for where I was going, I didn't use it because I had not eaten.
"When it was time to take my drug, I told them so. I use an Apple watch and I use it for timing; it reminds me to take my drug. I begged them for over one hour, my body was shaking, they said I was pretending. I told them my car was outside and the drug was in it. I said someone could follow me to the car, they didn't respond until I was rolling on the floor, that was when they asked someone to follow me.
"They said if I was not careful, I would be put in a cell. I was angry because I had not committed any crime; They didn't find any incriminating thing on me, there was actually a struggle between us to take my phone.”
Akinwale said he slumped and his phone fell off.
"I hit my chest on the chair in front of me and that was all I could remember. It was when I woke up at the hospital at 10pm that they told me I had slumped and had been unconscious for 2 hours. I was begging them to let me get food but they didn't listen.
"Yesterday, when they asked one of my friends to pick up the car, the IPO asked the guy to pay the N20,000 which they had declined to collect earlier."
Akinwale said he was discharged from the hospital but had to go again on Tuesday because of a probable damage done to his brain when he fell.
"I was put on a drip, then I settled the hospital bill and went home. Then I woke up this morning and couldn't even talk, I was told to go for a scan to check if anything affected my brain because when I fell, I think I hit my head on the chair beside me."