couple who were brutalized by a policeman in Ikoyi went viral with the
Police I.G ordering a full scale investigation into the issue.
Punch now reports thus:
The
police in Lagos have said the 29-year-old photographer, Ejeh Smith, who
was brutalized by a policeman attached to the Ikoyi Police Division
along with his wife, Grace, was drunk on the night of the incident.
scuffle, adding that since the incident happened, they had refused to
make statements to the police.
“Investigation is ongoing because as a command, we are alive to our
responsibility and we do not condone any act of incivility to members of
the public
“However, the police corporal is alleging that the couple fought him in uniform.
The man in question (Ejeh) was alleged to be drunk, and since that
incident happened, he has refused to make statements to the police. If
you have a good case, why will you say you don’t want to make
statement?The Ikoyi DPO they are mentioning said she arrived at the
scene and ordered all of them to be taken to the station. She was the
one who even issued medical forms to them so they could go to the
hospital.
“The man (Ejeh) told her (DPO) that he had taken her picture
and would send it to his pastor to pray against her. I was told that he
made the station uncomfortable. Can that be right? Is that the way to
behave?We are interested in flushing out the bad eggs in the system and
if this officer that has been accused is one of them, we will flush him
out.”
reacting to the police claims, Ejeh said he was not drunk on the night
of the incident, adding that the police were merely cooking up
allegations against him
“I was not drunk that night because I was coming from Ikeja where I
worked. I met my wife at Obalende from where we took the cab. I was not
drunk at all.
“I also fault the claim that I fought with the
policeman because nothing like that happened. He was the one who hit me
with his rifle in the eye, so how can a man who could barely see fight
again?
“And yes, I told them I couldn’t make statement because my eyesight had been affected.
I cannot see with one eye right now. I told our family lawyer about
this and he said he would write a petition where he will state the case
for us.”
, Ejeh Smith, and his wife, Grace, were on their way home in a taxi they
boarded at Obalende. The cab was reportedly stopped at the Lekki
Roundabout by a team of policemen patrolling the area.According to the
taxi driver, Ndubuisi Iheaka, the police corporal checked the boot of
the car before demanding his driving licence.Iheaka said while he was
about getting the driving licence, Ogunsanya decided to beam his
torchlight on his passengers.The couple was said to have protested the
action, telling him that the inner lights of the vehicle, which were on,
was enough for him to see their faces.
The policeman reportedly asked them to alight after which an argument ensued, which degenerated
into a scuffle.In the process, Ogunsanya allegedly punched Ejeh in the
face and also allegedly hit him in the face with the butt of his rifle.
He thereafter slapped Grace and stepped on her stomach.
The Ikoyi Divisional Police Officer, Mrs Aisha Haruna, who arrived at
the scene was accused by the couple of backing the policeman’s action.