The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two policemen for allegedly assaulting a lawyer in Lagos Island.
The officers were seen in a video posted online assaulting a young lawyer that held his principal hostage while demanding for his salary.
It was gathered that the principal lawyer gave his junior partner a dud cheque that bounced when he went to the bank.
The video posted on Instagram by OakTV Online, with the caption “SARS officers assault young lawyer allegedly demanding for his salary in Lagos,”caught the attention of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, who constituted an investigation panel to look into the allegation.
The Lagos State police public relations officer, CSP Chike Oti, said: “Findings into the case revealed that the officers in the video are not SARS operatives as alleged but conventional policemen attached to Lion Building Police Station who were invited to the chambers of Olawore & Co, No. 28/30 Macarthy Street, Lagos Island, by the managing partner, Barr. Oluyomi Olawore.
“Barrister Olawore sent a distress call to the police through one of his junior partners, requesting that he should be rescued from another junior partner, Barr. Olakunle Kareem, who he alleged was about to use unlawful force on him, having disconnected the firm’s CCTV cameras and locked up all doors leading into the firm and by so doing held Olawore hostage inside his office.
“It was based on the complaint that the DPO in charge of Lion Building dispatched policemen to the chamber to bring the feuding lawyers over for interrogation. However, the Commissioner of Police, observed with dismay that the policemen sent to the scene were not at their professional best.
“He has, therefore, ordered that the policemen, who had been arrested, be tried on oath. They risk stiff punishments for their actions. The CP also blamed the DPO for lack of supervision.”
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, SCIID, Panti Yaba, has been directed to take over the investigation of the case and critically look into the matter concerning the two lawyers, with a view to diligently prosecute anyone found wanting.
Meanwhile, a source at the provost office said: “There is no way the policemen would not be demoted in their ranks. It is a serious matter, but we have invited the lawyers to the command to enable us to know what really transpired.”
