… Investigations Reveals How They Tampered With Evidences In Their Custody To Subvert Justice
… As Victim Sends SOS Message To IGP, CJN
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By Joseph Sunday
Facts have emerged about how a Police Divisional Police Officer, CSP Nathaniel Ijaola in charge of the Bode Thomas Police Station at Surulere in Lagos, and DSP Ogunjobi, the DTO Officer in charge conspired with the owner of a mack truck with registration number LSD 485 by the name Mr Lawal Kazeem Olatunji and the driver of the truck, one Gbenga Ayo after collided with a Toyota Camry car with the registration number AGL 100 DE belonging to one Anthony Abiodun.
Findings made however revealed how CSP Nathaniel Ijaola – the DPO Bode Thomas Police Station and DSP Ogunjobi – DTO in charge of the case at the station, connived with suspects to alter evidence and subvert justice for pecuniary gains.
The accident victim through his family member, Mrs Kikelomo Olagbegi in a reaction made available to Treasure Newspaper on Monday, alerting the public, pleaded with the Nigerians to come his own aide and save him from been denied justice on the matter.
Following a further reaction, the Victim’s family member, Mrs Kikelomo Olagbegi, on Monday 11th of March 2024, explained how CSP Nathaniel Ijaola, the DPO of Bode Thomas Police Station and DTO in charge of the case, DSP Ogunjobi tampered with evidences of the effect of how the mark truck rammed into the Toyota Camry car on 8th of October 2023 along Bode Thomas Street at Surulere in Lagos.
She revealed how the DPO and DTO of Bode Thomas Police Station gave the accident victim (Anthony Abiodun) a wrong registration number of the truck to be ‘LSD 458 XK’ instead of LSD 485 XL while writing his statement at the police station on 8th of October, 2023. This action was later confirmed to be premeditated and deliberately done to mislead the complainant and create lacuna to pervert justice.
Similarly, same DPO and DTO facilitated the submission of Driver’s License belonging to Mr Lawal Kazeem Olatunji (Truck Owner) to the Magistrate Court 4 at Surulere as the license of the truck driver (Gbenga Ayo), who is not a licensed driver. Thus, misleading the court in furtherance of their atrocious agenda to overturn justice.
Additionally, Olagbegi described the dangerous driving exhibited by the truck driver who was against traffic, without head light and/or trafficators and in complete departure from his lane, occasioning bodily injuries to the victim and severe damages to his vehicle. Giving the circumstances, it is disappointing to uncover that Police officers could connive to misrepresent such reckless scenario by placing a bottle of alcoholic drink on the victim’s seat (3 weeks after the incident), to complicate the case in favour of the assailants for financial remunerations.
Continuing, she stated that the truck driver with thugs attempted to mob the victim at the scene of the accident in order to create razzmatazz and escape the situation. A totally remorseless and infuriating action which needed to be tackled by the police was jettisoned. Instead, it was passers-by and onlookers that salvaged the situation. This brings to question, the conscience and the level of morality of the said police officers.
Another interesting twist to the paradoxical event was the vandalization of the victim’s vehicle at the police station and refurbishment of the assailants’ truck. In this regard, the non-functional headlamps of the truck were observed to have been fixed within the period that the truck was in the police station while the case was already in Court. Pictures showing the truck at the time of incident and current picture, further clarify this assertion.
Also, the victim’s concerned family member, explained further, that the victim received a call from eye witnesses at night that the container was opened and experts were working on the vehicle. In an attempt to check this ugly incident, the victim called DSP Ogunjobi to ascertain the content of the container and the reason why they were working on the vehicle during poor visibility. However, Ogunjobi responded that she didn’t even know the content of the container because it is not the duty of the police to confirm whether the products are illegal or not.
Opening up more facts about the atrocities of the DPO and DSP Ogunjobi of Bode Thomas Police Station, the petitioner, Mrs Kikelomo Olagbegi also accused the Officers of frustrating the efforts of Anthony’s lawyer to have a copy of the application for the release of the container, which was filed since November 2023. However, effort made by Anthony’s lawyer to get this application released was turned down by the police on the excuse that, the Police at Panti has not received any application regarding the accident case.
She berated the DPO and the DTO of Bode Thomas Police Station Surulere, for continuing to unrepentantly shield and cover up the terrible atrocities of the Mark Truck driver and that of it’s owner despite an established fact that the Mark Truck had no headlights, side trafficators and horn.
Meanwhile, in the charges filed by the Commissioner of Police against the driver of the Mark Truck, Gbenga Ayo, a male, and age 26 years old on the 13th of November, 2023 with the Charge Number SLK/140/2023, the accused pleaded not guilty to the three counts and has since been granted bail by the Magistrate G.O. Tiamiyu of the Lagos Magisterial District Holden at Surulere Lagos State in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties.
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During the prosecution of the case by the Police Prosecutor, Inspector Sodiq Adewale, the Police accused the mark truck driver, Gbenga Ayo of flouting the Lagos State Government Road Traffic Law and Regulations 2018 and contravening the public highway laws as well as commiting the Vehicle Inspection Offences.
The Police Prosecutor also accused him of driving on the public highway with no functional lamps, thereby colliding with a Toyota Camry vehicle with registration number AGL 100 DE, and causing bodily injuries and serious damage to the Toyota Camry. Therefore, this charges has established that Gbenga Ayo committed an offence punishable under the Road Traffic Act Cap 548 part VII, section 29 of Road Traffic Act 2015.
Also, the Prosecutor Inspector accused Gbenga Ayo of driving without a Driver’s License, thereby commiting an offence contrary to and punishable under part VII regulation 74 sub regulation (1) (2) of the National Road Traffic Regulation 2012. In view of the above, it is pertinent to state that CSP Nathaniel Ijaola and DSP Ogunjobi had shown lack of integrity, commitment to job and professionalism amongst others. Such act is contrary to the rules and regulations of Nigeria.
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Olagbegi finally added that if this unruly behavior is not treated with utmost seriousness, a wrong precedence would be set amongst other road users as well as security personnel who are expected to be topnotch at all times.