Suspect beats up policemen for arresting him

7 years ago

Suspect beats up policemen for arresting him

A young man, Lucky Okeke, 24, was yesterday arraigned before a Lagos court for allegedly beating two policemen who arrested him.

The policemen were identified as corporals Abubakar Hussaini and Yusuf Olaitan.

Okeke had earlier allegedly assaulted a resident of Assemblies of God Church Street, Badore, in the Ajah area of Lagos State, Funmi Dayafin.

He then reportedly punched Olaitan in the head and rained blows on Hussaini’s mouth until blood gushed out, Punch reports.

The police team from Lamgbasa division had gone to the neighbourhood on Monday after receiving complaints from Dayafin that Okeke, his friend, Kelvin Osayande, and others at large operated a smoking joint in the house she also lived.

Dayafin, a teacher, said she had cautioned the suspects because of her children.

She said, “They smoke hemp on the premises early morning when my children leave for their school. They do same in the evening.

“I begged them to stop smoking because my children also complained the smell makes their stomachs rumble. I specifically talked to Lucky (Osayande) to stop inviting his friends to smoke in our compound.

“Three days before they were arrested, they deflated the tyres of my car for reporting them to the police.”

Osayande, who allegedly confessed to the police that he smoked, said her wife’s condition made him smoke on the premises.

He said, “I live downstairs while the woman lives upstairs. Normally, I smoke hemp in my sitting room. But because my wife is now pregnant, I decided to smoke in the compound so that she will not be affected. I wasn’t the one who deflated the tyres.

“I didn’t know people who smoke in the compound. Police came to arrest me, which I resisted. I beat the woman and one of the policemen.”

The two suspects were arraigned on Tuesday before a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court by a police prosecutor, Inspector Philip Osijale.

The charges read in part, “That you, Lucky Okeke, Kelvin Osayande, and two others at large, on October 27, 2016, at about 7am on Assemblies of God Church Street, First Unity Estate, Badore, Ajah, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace by deflating four tyres of Honda City belonging to one Funmi Dayafin, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 166 (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State Nigeria, 2011.

“That you, Lucky Okeke, on October 31, 2016, at about 11am, did unlawfully assault coporals Abubakar Hussaini and Yusuf Olaitan while performing their lawful duties by punching them with fist blows and causing them injuries in their mouths, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 172 (b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State Nigeria, 2011.”

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and elected summary trial.

The presiding magistrate, Mrs. M.B. Folami, granted them bail in the sum of N200,000 with two gainfully employed sureties each in like sum and adjourned till December 5.