Joy Anyim
The Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos State, has denied allegations that its operatives had allegedly tortured a 38-year-old land agent, Yemi Taiwo, to death at Isiu area, in Ikorodu, Lagos State.
It was gathered that operatives from the annex office of the Zonal Monitoring Unit (ZMU), in Ikorodu, had responded to a distress call, following an attack on Isiu Palace by hoodlums on September 4.
According to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Mr. Ahmed Iliyasu, while youth in the area had apprehended and attempted to lynch Taiwo and Femi Animashaun, for their alleged involvement in the act. Operatives who responded swiftly, rescued the duo.
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Iliyasu, who addressed journalists on the matter on Thursday, said the suspects were given necessary medical attentions before, but unfortunately, Taiwo died shortly afterwards.
The AIG represented by the officer in charge of Zonal Monitoring Unit, SP Adams Uba described the allegation as untrue and unfair.
He said security reports that had reached the command showed the area was prone to cult clashes.
He said, “The hoodlums always hold the community hostage and as a result of that, shops, schools and all business in the town are forced to closed down, with people, young and old scampering for safety, while a lot of people had fallen victims, with several properties destroyed each time the hoodlums go on rampage.
“On September 4, the hoodlums numbering over twenty stormed the community welding guns and invaded the palace of Isiu, shooting sporadically into the palace, while the clash was on going, some youths in the community in a reprisal apprehended two of the marauders and inflicted serious injuries on them.
“It was the quick arrival of our officers to the scene that we were able to rescue the two victims from the mob who were about to lynch them and we took them to the hospital for urgent treatment.
“We gave the victims necessary medical treatment, but one of them, Taiwo, could not make it. We recovered a gun and cartridges from the victims.
“What do we stand to benefit after rescuing the victims, killed one and left one alive. It is not logical.
“We were not there when they were fighting each other, we only responded to distress call and as police officers, we rescued the victims.
“It was a lie, there was no time we tortured the land agent and his friend, only went to the community to maintain law and ordered.
“We also have blood running in our vain, we don’t know where the information emanated from that we didn’t take them to hospital.”
Speaking on the incident, Animashaun also revealed that the late Taiwo was tortured by hoodlums.
Animashaun said he was just a victim of circumstances, as he went to the community to inspect his building in company with the deceased.
According to him, “We were caught in the middle of the clash. I am grateful to the police because they rescued Taiwo and I but Taiwo could not make it.
“It was not the police that beat us, but some land grabbers. The police only rescued us. They took us to the hospital. If not for the police, I would have also died, ” he said.
Describing what transpired on the said day, the newly-coronated Oba of Isiu, Oba Kayode Raji, said after he was installed as the Oba, some residents were coming to the palace to place congratulatory banners in his honour.
Oba Raji said, “Unfortunately, on September 4, I was in the palace when I saw some hoodlums led by Yunusa, a land grabber who invaded the palace in an attempt to abduct me around 7:00a.m.
“They vandalised cars and so many things in the palace. The local vigilante was able to apprehend two of the hoodlums after they had exhausted their ammunition, but they were beaten up by angry mob, before they were rescued by the police who were deployed to the community to maintain law and order.”