Lagos commercial bus driver, others beat up cop

•Ojokoro Magistrate’s Court

The police have arraigned a commercial driver, Idowu Arisekola, before an Ojokoro Magistrate’s Court in the Ifako-Ijaiye area of the state for assaulting a policeman attached to the Ijaiye Ojokoro Police Station.

It was learnt that the cop, Akintunde Adepoju, was controlling the traffic at the Ajala bus stop when the driver and his conductor, who was still at large, confronted him.

The driver, our correspondent gathered, caused a traffic snarl by obstructing the road with his bus.

While trying to evade arrest, it was reported that Arisekola drove the bus recklessly and rammed into another vehicle.

It was further gathered that the duo took the cop to a joint where they and some touts were alleged to have tortured him. Adepoju was, however,

said to have been rescued by a police patrol team.

Appearing before the magistrate, Mrs. T. Akani, the defendant was arraigned on 10 counts of unlawful traffic obstruction, resistance of lawful arrest, reckless driving and assault.

The charges read in part, ”That you, Idowu Arisekola, and your bus conductor now at large, on August 5, 2014, at about 4.30pm at Ajala bus stop, Ijaiye Ojokoro, in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did conspire to commit felony to wit; obstructing the free flow of traffic on the highway.

“That you, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district did unlawfully resist arrest from the police officer, Akintunde Adepoju.

“That you, use your commercial bus with registration number, LND 248 XL, drove recklessly in an attempt to resist arrest, and hit one Hyondai 800 bus marked, XM 766 ADB, and caused damages to its full light, trafficator light and the two side mirrors valued N30,000, property of one Akinwade Temitope.

“That you unlawfully captured and detained a police traffic officer attached to the Ijaiye Ojokoro Police Station while discharging his lawful duty and attempted to kill him by moving him to a spot at Adura field.

“That you employed a group of area boys to join you and beat him up to the point of coma before he was later rescued by a police patrol team.”

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the offences said to be punishable under sections 117(2), 172(b), 208, 269, 345, 418 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The defendant was admitted to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties each in the like sum.

“The sureties must also tender evidence of three years of tax payment and present their residential addresses for verification,” Akani added.

The case was adjourned till September 15, 2014.

PUNCH