Some
suspects declared wanted by the Lagos State Police Command for the
murder of a former chairman of the National Union of Road Transport
Workers, Alhaji Azeez Asake, have accused the police of not following
proper procedures before declaring them wanted.
The suspects made this accusation in a statement signed by their solicitors, Oluwa-Oreagba Chambers, on Wednesday, October 15.
The
police in Lagos had on Thursday, October 14, declared the suspects-
Mustapha Adekunle, Fatai Alli and Fatai Olori- wanted in connection with
the murder Ashake, who was killed a few minutes after President
Goodluck Jonathan held a rally at the Tafawa Balewa Square.
The
statement reads in part, “Our attention has been drawn to a publication
wherein our clients were declared wanted by the Lagos State Police
Command on the allegation of conspiracy and murder.
“The
documents made available by our clients show that on the day of the
alleged incident, they were neither on Lagos Island nor anywhere near.
While Adekunle was in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, attending a burial, Alli
and Olori were in their various houses in Surulere, Lagos.”
The
wanted suspects, through their solicitor, added that they were within
the reach of the police for any interrogation, and wondered why they
were being declared wanted as though guilty.
“A
youth leader, Mr. Ashipa, who was arrested by the police and later
granted bail was alleged to have masterminded the killing of Asake, and
is bent on prevailing on the police to arrest and detain our clients.
“We
hope the police will not allow itself to be used. While we admire the
efforts of the police at bringing the perpetrators of such heinous crime
to justice, we are sad that the police had played to the gallery by
hurriedly declaring our clients wanted when in actual sense, they were a
phone call away,” the statement added.
The
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, said
the suspects had yet to come to the police for questioning, adding that
their explanations were needed to prove their innocence or otherwise.
He
said, “If some suspects have been declared wanted, they have to appear
before the police, and answer to the charges. That is the appropriate
step. If they have genuine reasons, they should be willing to explain
them to the police.
“Till now, we have
yet to see these people. There is no problem with them writing a
petition through a lawyer, for they have a right to be constitutionally
represented. But then, they also have to come forward to the police for
questioning. It does not mean they are guilty or otherwise.”
PUNCH
No comments:
Post a Comment