CP summons police officer for assaulting Lagos lawyer

Lagos State Police Commissioner, Adegoke Fayoade, has summoned a police officer who allegedly assaulted a lawyer, Timothy Olamide Olaniyi.

The CP assured that prompt disciplinary measures would be carried out.

Olaniyi had taken to X (formerly Twitter) to draw the attention of the Lagos State Police Command over the assault meted out on him by the officer at the headquarters in Ikeja.

The lawyer said he had gone to the State Police Command on behalf of a colleague to find out about a client who was arrested sometime last month, but was manhandled by the officer at about 9:00 a.m., on Wednesday, March 6.

In the post calling on the police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, he said: “I am contacting you in respect of the merciless beating I received from a police officer at the Lagos State Police Command in Ikeja this morning.

“I went there on behalf of my colleague to find out about a client who was arrested sometime last month; only for me to get there and be beaten like a condemned criminal.

“One of the officers told me that it is not all cases that lawyers handle.

I went there with all manner of respect and humility.”

Hundeyin, in a statement, said: “Investigations, so far, revealed that the lawyer had the encounter at about 9:30 a.m. with some police officers who came from outside Lagos State to take over suspects arrested for them by the Lagos State Police Command.

“These visiting police officers have been summoned for an identification parade to enable the lawyer identify them.

“Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has been in constant touch with the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), especially Chukwuka Ikwuazom, who heads the Security Agencies Relations Committee (SARC) of the association.”

Hundeyin said the NBA has been assured that the command would leave no stone unturned in identifying the officer behind the unprofessional act and meting out appropriate sanctions, as the alleged misconduct is totally condemned and against the ethics of the Nigeria Police Force.