A businessman based in the United Kingdom, Blessing Akinlemimu, has alleged that the Ondo State Police Command and the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 17, are planning to frustrate an ongoing investigation into an attack on him by hoodlums.

According to Akinlemimu, he was attacked on November 12 in Idanre, the headquarters of the Idanre Local Council Area of the state, by hoodlums who shot him in the stomach.

While stating that the incident occurred a few weeks before the governorship election, he disclosed that the case was reported at the police station, but the police had failed to conduct any investigation.

In a statement issued by Akinlemimu’s lawyer, John Olowookere, the victim said both the offices of the state Commissioner of Police and the AIG were allegedly treating the case with kid gloves, as none of the attackers had been arrested since then.

The businessman, who maintained that the petition written to the office of the AIG had allegedly been suppressed and unattended to, stressed through his lawyer that “Our client (Blessing) was at a place in Idanre, his hometown, with some of his friends together and the two police officers officially assigned to him for his security protection when all of a sudden, some armed men (some were masked) invaded the place and attacked our client with gunshots; his friends were badly injured, while the police officers were practically helpless in the circumstances, as the attack was sudden and calculated to eliminate our client.

“That upon the gunshot received by our client on the side of his stomach from the assailants, our client was rushed to the University of Medical Sciences Specialist Hospital, Akure, Ondo State, where he was given medical treatment, and he was admitted to the hospital before he was moved by the family to another hospital in Akure for intensive medical attention to save his life.

“It is further briefed that the ugly incident of the attack was reported first at Alade Police Station and later at Idanre Divisional Police Station, but the same was treated with kid gloves by both stations, which prompted our client to retain the services of a legal practitioner to do a formal petition to the AIG for a discreet police investigation. The lawyer wrote the petition dated November 14, 2024, and the same was approved for necessary investigation.

“However, to the chagrin and consternation of our client, the investigation in respect of the aforementioned petition was deliberately suppressed by the police at the AIG’s office without giving any valid reason why the incident was not investigated, even when the petition had been approved for discreet police investigation. This unhealthy and sad development in the investigation frustrated our client, who returned to his base in the United Kingdom, against his initial intention to stay for a while in the country.”

The legal practitioner called on the government and other stakeholders to assist his client in getting justice, claiming that the alleged perpetrators were still moving around the town untouched.

When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, denied the allegation, saying the command was properly handling the case when the complainant said he wanted the AIG to handle it.

“The investigation was ongoing when he (Blessing) said he wanted his case to be handled by Zone 17 (AIG), not that the case was not handled properly.”

Also, the Public Relations Officer of Zone 17, Akeem Adeola, said he was not aware of the petition of the complainant, stressing that “It is not possible for the zone to get the petition and not act on it; I will find out when I get to the office.”