by Isi Esene

A lawyer, Demilade Olaniyan, has narrated how a policewoman, Sola Olanrewaju, and her colleagues at Kajorepo Police Station, beat him mercilessly in Ibadan, Oyo state in a controversy that ensued over a wage bill of a consignment of sugar.

Olaniyan also accused the policemen of smashing the windscreen of his Peugeot 307 car.

The state branch of the Nigerian Bar Association have reportedly vowed to take legal action against the police for maltreating one of its members. The spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Olabisi Ilobanafor has, however, stated that the police has resolved the matter with the alleged victim.

“I have spoken with the lawyer in question, and he said the matter had been resolved. He said he could not get better justice than what he had got from the Area Commander, who intervened. Definitely, he is going to get redress.”

Speaking about the intervention of the NBA, Olaniyan said, “Since the Generals in the NBA have shown interest to prosecute the case to serve as a deterrent to others, I cannot say that they should not act in my protection.”

According to the lawyer in a statement, he went to the police station over a truck allegedly intercepted by officers along Iwo Road, Ojoo when the incident happeneed.

“When we got there, a police officer acquaintance of mine took me to the Station Officer (SO), Etim Ebighe, whom he explained to me would take me to the office of the OCP and G. This was around 2:30pm. When I got there, I met three persons – two gentlemen and a lady discussing.

“I explained my mission to him and while I was doing this, the lady interjected and started asking me series of questions. One of the questions she asked was why the consignment of sugar had no Way Bill.

“She shouted me down and told me that the trailer which had brought the sugar from Lagos should have given the bakery the Way Bill which it had used. I attempted to explain to her what usually obtained where there was a need to transfer some of the goods supplied.

‘‘In the manner at hand, it was for the bakery to issue a Way Bill to cover the transfer of sugar from Ibadan to Ilorin.”