The 24-year-old Photojournalist intern, Yinka
Badmus, yesterday, regained his freedom amidst jubilation.
Badmus, who was granted bail by the Ogudu Magistrate
Court yesterday, had spent 11 horrifying days in Ikoyi Prison. He was
reportedly beaten by inmates and soon fell sick.
But yesterday, as he was granted bail, his friends
and some journalists were on ground to welcome him.
His boss and benefactor, Stephen Oguntoyib, Chief
Executive Officer of Talk Village International visibly happy said: “We thank
God for everything. He was granted bail just a few minutes ago. He has lost a
lot of weight. I’m going to allow to rest and then take him to hospital for
proper medical attention.”
Badmus was arrested by policemen attached to
Anti-cultism Unit, Pedro, Gbagada and remanded in Ikoyi Prison, for allegedly
sporting a hairstyle, which the police alleged made him look like a cultist.
Badmus, who had just bagged an international
scholarship, almost lost the scholarship, but for divine intervention.
While Badmus was in prison, he was invited for the
Skype interview to fine tune his scholarship. The school, however, promised to
give him another opportunity this week.
Badmus was arrested on December 31, while eating
noodles in his community. It was gathered that after Badmus was detained, the
policemen allegedly refused to allow him to contact anyone. Badmus, who spent
three days in police detention, including January first, was charged to court
on the fourth day of his arrest.
Oguntoyib tried to bail Badmus on the fourth day,
but the police, for reasons yet unknown quickly bundled the photographer into a
Black Maria, move him to court and ensured he was remanded.
The Lagos State Police Command, reacting to
allegation Anti-Cultism Unit arrested Badmus because of his dreadlocks, said: “To
start with, it is ridiculous to say that the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Lagos
State Police Command charged a suspect to court because of his hairstyle.
Clearly speaking, Yinka Badmus and 13 others were charged to Ogudu Magistrate
Court on January 4, 2019, on two-count charges.
The first count is conspiracy i.e for conspiring amongst themselves to
commit felony to wit membership of unlawful society contrary to and punishable
under Section 411, Cap CH, C17, Vol. 3 Laws of Lagos, 2015. The second count
holds them for belonging to an unlawful society known as Eiye confraternity
contrary to and punishable under Section 42(a), Cap CH, C17 Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State 2015.
The suspects were however granted bail in the sum of
N50,000 by a court of competent jurisdiction. However, those who could not meet
the bail conditions were remanded in prison custody pending when they would
meet the stipulated conditions for their bail. This is an issue that is neither
within the purview of Force nor its control. There is no section of the Lagos
State Criminal Law and indeed the Criminal Code that criminalises hairstyle.”
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