A construction company, Stonehood Limited, Ota, Ogun State, has accused the state police command of unlawful arrest and detention of its workers.
The company’s lawyer, Mariam Shakiru, who went to the Onipanu Police Station, Ota, over the matter, was allegedly harassed by some police officers.
The Managing Director of the firm, Dare Oyalowo, recalled that some trucks were put up for sale in the company’s factory.
He explained that three people approached the company together in June 2022 to buy one of the trucks, valued at N15m.
Oyalowo said two bank accounts were provided for them to make payment.
However, one of the men returned on June 9 to take the truck while claiming to have paid N5m.
“I made enquiries on the bank accounts and discovered the man paid N5m into another bank account. We wanted to sell a N25m truck for N15m, not N5m,” he added.
He said the company also discovered that one of the men, Ademola, who claimed to be an agent, collected money from the actual buyer, identified only as Orji, who came from Rivers State with his friend, who was the third person.
Ademola was said to have fled after receiving the funds.
Oyalowo said the police were invited by Orji and three company workers were arrested and taken to the Onipanu Police Station.
“The police only released two of them after insisting on N250,000 for bail. They eventually collected N150,000 and released the two workers,” he added.
One of the arrested workers, Lawal Mikail, told PUNCH Metro that he was “seriously beaten” at the police station.
“The police said I was part of the deal and staged the sale to defraud the complainant. They also went to search my house because they said I withdrew the money and kept it,” he added.
The company’s accountant, Kehinde Aliyat, said she had gone to bail the two workers when she was also detained.
She said, “We were trying to make arrangements for the bail when they said they would transfer the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran. When I got to their office, they said I would be detained and I needed to bail myself as well. I was only allowed to use my phone so I could call my people to process my bail that day.”
The company’s lawyer, Shakiru, said she was dragged out of the interrogation room despite protesting her right to be with her clients.
She said, “I had to intervene when I saw the way they were relating with my clients. I wanted to be with my clients when they were writing their statements, but the police refused. I was pushed out and they locked the door.”
The Divisional Police Officer of Onipanu, CSP Job Bamidele, confirmed the incident but declined further comment.
He said, “It was reported, but we transferred the case to the State CID immediately.”
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he had not been briefed about the matter.
