Controversy has surrounded the clash between the Chief Magistrate at Court 1, Mushin, Lagos State, Mrs S. K. Matepo, and officials of the Lagos State Police Command.
The incident was said to happen at Area D Command, Mushin, Lagos State, on Monday.
It was reported that Assistant Commisioner of Police Aliko Dankoli had allegedly attempted to detain the Magistrate who was on a routine check of suspects on Police Duty Solicitor Scheme to de-congest the police cells.
During tbe visitation, the Area Commander, Dankoli allegedly queried the motive of the Magistrate who works in the Ikeja Division of the Lagos Judiciary and subsequently threatened to detain her.
Though the police said the incident never happened, Matepo said what transpired was exaggerated.
Investigation by our correspondent on Friday revealed that there was clash between the Magistrate and police officer.
During an altercation that ensued, the Magistrate stood her ground but was not detained.
It didn’t happen -Police
The Police Command in Lagos State denied locking up a Magistrate in a cell.
“No Magistrate was locked up by any Police officer under the command; there’s nothing like that anywhere,” the command’s spokesman, Mr Benjamin Hundeyin, said.
“The story is pure fiction; the Command wishes to state clearly that at no time did the Area Commander detain or attempt to detain the Magistrate, who was at the Area Command for cell inspection exercise.
“The Police will never engage in such disrespect to the Judiciary. That the writer referred to a serving Magistrate as ‘the innocent woman’ says a lot about his objectivity/bias and contrived efforts at sensationalism.
“The writer could not provide the name of the magistrate, who is a public officer. It is equally suspicious that the writer made no attempt to contact the judiciary to verify the purported detention,” a statement issued by Hundeyin added.
Hundeyin said that the Command had done the needful by contacting the Lagos judiciary.
According to him, the Lagos State Judiciary confirmed that there was no such thing and neither was the Magistrate prevented from carrying out her cell inspection exercise.
“We hereby state it unequivocally that any attempt to cause disaffection between the Police and the Judiciary will be fiercely resisted. We remain worthy partners in the judicial sector,” he added.
I was shouted at but stood my ground – Magistrate
Matepo confirmed that the police officer shouted at her.
The Magistrate, who reacted to the matter in a voice note after the media reports, however, said she stood her ground.
She also urged that the case should nlt be exaggerated.
She said, “I went on a police visit to Mushin and the Area Commander insisted that I must take his approval or permission before I interrogate the suspects in the cell.
“I explained to him that I have seen his senior officers who led me to the cell, and that I didn’t think I needed to see him first.
“I said I might come back to him after interrogating the suspects if need be, but he insisted that it shouldn’t have gone that way.
“But I put it to him that that is the way I do my job and I need not come and take permission from his office.
“I stood my ground that I must conclude my job and his officers are the ones to report to him after I might have finished, or if there is any need for me to see him, I will see him.”
Matepo noted the incident had been reported to the High Court with an assurance that a formal apology would be tendered.
NBA reacts
The Nigerian Bar Association Security Agengies Relations Committee Chairman, Joe Kyari-Gadzama, SAN, condemned the incident.
The NBA committee described the incident as disgusting, saying a judicial officer shouldn’t be treated that way.
“Our committee is presently making urgent efforts at verifying the facts and circumstances surrounding the instant report especially as it relates to the arrest and detention of the magistrate in question.
“This is to inform further steps, actions and/or decisions made from the standpoint of knowledge and information,” Kyari-Gadzama said.
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