Civil Rights Organization Alleges Lagos Police Of Attempted Murder Of Ismaila Danladi Over Bail Gratification

*Seeks dismissal of officers attached to Meiran Police Station

A civil rights organization, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has raised an alarm over incessant arrests, detention and attempted murder of members of the public by the men of the Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Police Force, seeking for the outright dismissal of Police Officers attached to Meiran Police Station of the State.

The alarm is becoming imperative, just as the rights group urged the Police authority in the country to also dismiss the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Meiran Police Station over alleged attempted murder of one Ismaila Danladi and his friends which he (DPO) directed his men to kill them at the eve of the recent 2018 Christmas festival, but they were divinely survived the Police brutal attacked.

According to the civil group, Danladi, a 40 year-old man who was illegally arrested along with his friend, Oghadi, on Monday 24th of December, 2018, nearly died from gunshot wounds he sustained in his right leg at the hands of men of the Station who stormed the Okesina Street in the Meiran area, off Lagos-Abeokuta express way, Lagos State for their illegal duty on the fateful day.

This was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the Executive Chairman of CHRSJ, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman and copies were made available to newsmen, who strongly condemned the brutal attack of innocent Nigerians by the Police officers that were supposed to serve and protect the citizens with integrity and rule of law, urging the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Edgar Imhohinmi to ensure justice for innocent Ismaila Danladi who is bread winner of his family without any further delaying.

Sulaiman narrated in the Statement that Danladi, who worked as a Supervisor at Yard 158 Events Arena, Oregun area of the State and his friends were victims of the Police officers of the Station, who were unconstitutionally looking for money to celebrate Christmas festival,alleging that the refusal to pay sum of N15, 000(Fifteen Thousand naira) for bail by the victim, made the Police to deal with Danladi at the Police Station Premises, before the DPO instructed one of his trigger men(Martins) to push him(Danladi) out of the Station premises.

The rights activist further stated that Danladi who is living at No 3, Adenekan Street, Rhema Estate, Meiran area of Lagos State, went to the second street (Okesina) to meet his friend (Oghadi), around 7.17p.m.,before the Policemen stormed the area to perpetrate their evil act of illegal raiding.

Apart from planning to terminate the life of the victim for refusing to give them illegal money for bail, Sulaiman also accused the police of torturing Danladi’s friend (Oghadi) and other illegal arrested 45(forty-five) innocent citizens which they forced to pay N15,000 each for bail before releasing them on the Charismas day.

The statement wrote that the father of the victim, Usman Danladi, who was retired Airforce Officer, disclosed that a good Samaritan that knew him with his son, called him on phone number-08059047036 , to come and pick Danladi junior (Ismaila), who was thrown out of the Station on the order of Meiran Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for immediate treatment, maintained that the family has spent sum of N187,000(One hundred and eighty-seven thousand naira) as at the time of filling this story.

He (Usman Danladi) added that “he went to the Station to meet the DPO as a retired Air Force Officer, to make an enquiry on what really happened but the Station Guard and other Police Officers in outside the Station, sent them away with the threat to gun them down if they refused to leave the Station immediately”.

Sulaiman said, “We are ready to see to the end of this case because it has become the habitual and unprofessional character of the Police Officers attached to the Meiran Police Station since 2013, when one Prophet Stephen Ademoye was illegally arrested and detained from Sunday 1st September, 2013 till Friday 1st November, 2013, One Mr. Ojo Arowosafe and his friend, Mr. Adegoke Akeem were unlawfully arrested and detained without any genuine reason on September 24th, 2013.Again,in 2017,one Mr. Olushola Oluwafemi was illegally detained  for complete 3days and one Pastor Joshua Dada was illegally arrested and detained on Sunday 10th December,2017 by subjecting them to inhuman treatment.

“We are determined to bring the culprits to book and we will not spare any efforts whatsoever in seeking redress for the person who was clearly attempted on his life which contrary to the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Criminal Code ‘Cap C38’ and the Police Act”.

While calling on the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Edgar Imhohinmi to investigate the dastard act, the group said it would also forward its petition to the relevant authorities such as the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Police Service Commission (PSC), the National Assembly, National Human Rights Commission,Amnesty International, Nigeria Police Council (NPC), Minister oInterior and the Presidency.