The Zone 2 Police Command has refuted a story circulating on social media, alleging its operatives of illegally arraigning some suspects.
In a statement issued by the command's spokesperson (ZPPRO), SP Ayuba Tunni Umma, she stated that, before any arraignment was made in court, the case file would be subjected to thorough scrutiny by the representative of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) assigned to vet criminal cases brought before the court by the Police.
According to the ZPPRO, If a case was found to be civil, parties would be advised to pursue civil litigation, and the case would not be assigned for criminal proceedings.
The command's reaction was sequel to a story reported by the tgnews, an online publication, which reads thus, "A human rights organisation, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has faulted the men of Zonal Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Onikan, Zone 2, Lagos, over criminal conspiracy to jail a Canada-based woman, her husband and her two friends after illegally arresting and keeping them incommunicado, remanding them in prison and subsequently arraigning them on trumped up charges before a Magistrate’s Court.
"The rights group further faulted the Police for earlier arresting the three(3) innocent Nigerians over a hear-say allegation of stealing two million Naira (N2,000,000) at a mini-party ceremony hosted by a complainant, one Mrs. Shotayo Niniola and her husband.
"The three innocent Nigerians are Rhamat Oyinloye”m”, 44, Taibatu Rufai,”F”, 45, and Femi Osadola,”M”, 34, husband of the targeted Canada-based Woman and the complainant, one Mrs Shotayo Niniola, who raised the trump-up allegation against the aforementioned persons because one of them was given a pursue for safekeeping after one of them picked some money out of the purse to spray Niniola while dancing at the mini-party for her late father-in-law.
"According to CHRSJ, the complainant (Shotayo Niniola) thought it was her purse they were given to each other after watching the video clip of the event because she thought that the money she was supposed to collect from the invited guests should be more than what she had at hand then and the three invited guests had stolen her money. She reported same to Police to effect the arrest of the three(3) innocent suspects.
"The group added that one of the suspects, Mr. Femi Osadola, never attended the ceremony in question but he (Femi) stood as surety for his wife (Osadola Esther), who was part of those who attended the party, at the Police Station but his wife had traveled out of the country and for this reason, the Police charged him along with the two other suspects at the Magistrate’s Court.
"The CHRSJ noted that investigation also alleged that the Zone(2) Policemen, “because of something that has exchanged hands from the said Complainant and also the Complainant being the concubine of one of the Police Officers at the Zonal Police Force Headquarters, Lagos, just charged the matter to Magistrate Court with half baked and biased investigation contrary to Section 15(5) and 24 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.”
"Speaking further on the development, CHRSJ’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, urged the Police authority in the country to sanction the officers involved in this hatchet job of unethical and unprofessional policing.
"Sulaiman said, “While the Investigation Police Officer (IPO), Mrs. Pamela taking the matter before the Magistrate Court at Lagos Magisterial District on three(3) count charge of committing felony to wit alleged stealing of Two Million Naira ( N2,000,000) punishable under Section 411 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
“The Police before the Magistrate Court alleged that Rhianat Oyinloye and Taibatu Rufai, on 20th January, 2024, at about 10.00 am- 0800pm at Elshaadai Event Centre, Plot 5A,Terry Grillo Road, Beckley Ahmadiya New Oko-Oba, Lagos of stealing the property belonging to one Mrs. Shotayo Niniola of the same aforesaid amount by committing an offence punishable under Section 287 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria.
“The accused pleaded not guilty to the three count charges and Defendant Counsel, Barrister Momina A. Osamede and Barrister B.E. Nwantah, applied for the bail of the three accused persons, and which the Presiding Magistrate (Mr. KAYODE ALAMU at COURT-One “1” OGBA-ELEFO, Ebute-Meta, Lagos State Nigeria Court granted in the likely sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira only(N500,000) with two sureties, which the case thereby adjourned till Today 16th day of April, 2024 for mentioning".
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command, AIG Olatoye A. Durosinmi, has consequently called on members of the public to dismiss misleading informations aimed at creating distrust against the Police, reiterating that the Police was committed to protecting citizens professionally, in line with the provisions of the law.
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