A man, Adekoya Adeyemi, is currently battling not to completely lose his sight after he was allegedly assaulted by a policeman in Shokas Estate, Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State for speaking up against harassment and extortion in the community.
Voice Air Media learnt that the community had been recording alleged illegal raids followed by extortion of residents, especially the students of the Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic in Ijebu, Igbo, believed to have been perpetrated by some members of the local security outfit, popularly known as Agbekoya, and some policemen in the area.
Speaking with the Newsmen on Thursday, Adeyemi said he was slapped in the face and beaten by the policeman and his men, who allegedly used the butt of the gun to strike him in the face.
He said, “All I did was intervene when a motorcyclist was being held on the road by a policeman and one of the Agbekoya people. I begged the officer to allow the motorcyclist to go. The policeman left the scene. But the Agbekoya man started saying it was not my business to intervene. Not long after, a policeman showed up and asked his men to arrest me.
“Before I could ask what my offence was, they had started slapping me, and he was hitting my face with the butt of his gun. He used his boot to match my face. They bragged to me that if I don’t take to my heels the next time I see them that they were going to pluck out my two eyes. I begged them when I could no longer see clearly, but they continued to beat me and then threw me into a cell. Blood was gushing out of my face.”
Adeyemi said he was later released after the policemen allegedly extorted some students arrested in the community.
Reacting, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Omotola Odutola, who said her attention had been drawn to the matter, told the Newsmen that she had appealed to the victim as well as others who had faced similar issues to show up to aid police investigation.
“I have informed the victim to come to the police headquarters in Abeokuta on Friday (today). Any other person in the community that had a similar issue should also come so that we can investigate the matter,” Odutola stated on Thursday.