A resident of Ado-Ekiti, Stephen Emmanuel Ayomikun has narrated how officers of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) unit of the Ekiti State Police Command failed to arrest a suspected cultist, Bolu Owotomi who stabbed him.
According to Stephen, he was detained by the 2iC of the unit, DSP Ogidan after he reported how he was attacked by Bolu and his friends at the RRS office after Faglo filling station, Ado-Ekiti on February 13.
He added that he was taken to court by the officers and was granted bail by the judge.
He said, “On February 13, 2022, around 3:14 am, I was sleeping in my room and one of Bolu’s friends knocked at my door asking for ‘pure’ water (sachet water) and I opened the door and gave him, so I went to charge my phone and power bank at his place. So on getting there, I met Bobby, Lekinzy, Victor, Scott and Bolu himself there, so he started cursing me and my parents calling them wreckless people and saying he’s richer than my father. Then I cautioned him never to curse my parents again but he said what was I going to do and that he would kill me.
“He said he’s a cultist (Alora), then I said he shouldn’t curse my parents again then suddenly one of his friends took my phone from the back. As I was asking for my phone he broke the bottle he was holding on my head and stabbed me in my face and chest so I dragged with him to defend myself. So after I saved myself, they ran away and took my phone. That night I went to the RRS office to report, they told me to go to the police clinic but they couldn’t even take me there because I didn’t pay them, so I went to the guy’s parents’ house to tell them what happened.
“His dad gave me N5,000 because I didn’t have any money to treat myself, so I left for the police clinic, bleeding. When I got there, the money wasn’t enough, then I deposited some amount and went back home to get more money for my stitches. Then I met his mum at my house, she begged me and said she wanted to follow me to the hospital but I said no. Then people begged me to honour her, so she followed me there and spent N3,000 there so I was looking for the guy all around because the policeman I went to report the case to is related to the guy’s family so they turned the case around.
“So I took a soldier to his parents’ house when they didn’t see the guy and the police refused to find him because they were bribed. On the second day, they provided the guy and detained me with him. That wasn’t the first time I would be detained, they also detained me despite my health status on the first day I went to report the matter.
“So they detained me again and even took me to court the second day with the guy. They took our bail at the court and told the guy to provide my phone the second day. So after the second day, he didn’t provide the phone and came to pack his loads from the house. I went to ask him for my phone but he told me to get out. I asked his friends and they said they didn’t know. He brought his phone outside then I collected it from him and left.
“The name of the police I went to report to is DSP Ogidan 2ic. Now from a reliable source, the police are everywhere looking for me to arrest me. This is a case of threat to life. Nigerians should please help me out.”
Sunday Abutu, spokesman for the Ekiti State Police Command denied the allegation.
According to Abutu, Stephen reported a case of armed robbery to the RRS office but investigation revealed it was a case of affray which prompted the duo to be charged to court.
“I want you to extend your investigation to court, the Ayomide Nicholas, the complainant, the one who reported to you came to the RRS office to report a robbery attack against one Boluwatife. Then the RRS went into investigation and arrested the alleged suspect but it was discovered that the alleged suspect sustained more injuries than the complainant.
“From their statement, they live in the same compound. They had an argument and fought. Even from the compound, witnesses came to say that they fought over an argument, that was why the two of them were charged to court. It’s not that somebody or any officer is a relative of anybody. If that’s true, I don’t think they will be charged to court, they would have looked for a way to settle it but the two of them were charged to court.
“Even the alleged suspect sustained more injuries than the complainant, he rushed to the station before the other person. It was a case of affray, not armed robbery attack.”
A police report Abutu made available to SaharaReporters says, “On 13/02/2022, one Ayomikun Nicholas (25yrs) came to RRS office and reported a case of robbery attack against one Owootomo Boliwatife (23yrs).
“The RRS operatives swung into action and arrested the alleged suspect-Owootomo Boliwatife on 15/02/2022 in his house at Olorunsogo area of Ado-Ekiti.
“The statements of both the complainant and the alleged suspect were taken and it was discovered that the two live in the same compound, had a disagreement and fought after which they both sustained bodily injuries hence, it was treated as a case of affray as against the earlier report of a case of robbery attack by the complainant.
“It was discovered upon the arrest of the alleged suspect that he sustained more injuries even more than the complainant but the complainant wanted to play smart by coming to report first to the police.
The two were however charged to court for affray.”
However, a screenshot of Bolu’s conversation with a relation sighted by SaharaReporters showed he intentionally injured himself when he heard Stephen had gone to the police station to report him.
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