Nigerian Police Vow To Arrest Officers Who Brutalised Lawyer In Lagos Command Headquarters For Asking After Client

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, has said that the police officers who allegedly assaulted a lawyer, Timothy Olamide, on Wednesday morning when he went to the State Police Command headquarters to ask after his client, are visiting policemen from outside Lagos state.

CP Fayoade said this when he met with the lawyer and vowed that the police officers must be identified for prompt disciplinary measures.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the lawyer, Olamide lamented how he was beaten like a condemned criminal by some police officers at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja, the state capital. 

Olamide, who took to his X handle to narrate his ordeal, said that he had gone to the police command on Wednesday morning on behalf of his colleague to find out about a client who was arrested sometime in February but only to be beaten up and warned that not all cases could be handled by lawyers.  

Calling on the police authorities to look into the matter, Olamide said he went to the police command with all manner of respect and humility.

In a statement issued by the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said that the officers who assaulted the lawyer were among visiting policemen who came from outside Lagos for suspects arrested for them.

The police spokesperson said that “Upon receipt of a tweet made by a lawyer, one Timothy Olamide Olaniyi, alleging that a police officer assaulted him within the premises of the Lagos State Command headquarters, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Adegoke Fayoade, immediately invited him to facilitate appropriate actions.

“Investigations so far reveal that the lawyer had the encounter at about 0930 hours with some police officers who came from outside Lagos State to take over suspects arrested for them by the Lagos State Police Command. 

“These visiting police officers have been summoned for an identification parade to enable the lawyer identify the police officer in question.

“Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has been in constant touch with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) leadership, especially Chukwuka Ikwuazom SAN who heads the Security Agencies Relations Committee (SARC) of the Association. 

“The NBA has been assured that the Command would leave no stone unturned to identify the officer behind the unprofessional act and mete out appropriate sanctions as the alleged misconduct is totally condemned and against the ethics of the Nigeria Police Force. 

“The Command uses this medium once again to encourage Lagosians to reach out to the Complaint Response Unit (lagos.npf.gov.ng) or any senior officer (in person or via the already publicised phone numbers) when they have complaints against police action.”