Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
A victim of police brutality, Ganiu Kamol, has disclosed how “unidentified” police officers shot him in the leg and crippled him.
Ganiu gave this disclosure on Thursday, while giving evidence before the Ogun Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality, sitting at the Magistrate Court, Isabo, Abeokuta, the state capital.
The victim said he was shot in the leg by unknown police officers of the Ogun state Police Command attached to the Ibara Divisional Police headquarters in Abeokuta on July 17, 2018.
The petitioner said after he was shot, his mother and brother were detained by the then Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ibara Division, CSP Bolaji Oluwasegun.
He alleged that the DPO refused to produce the officer that fired the shot and also prevented the hospital from treating him.
Narrating his ordeal further, Ganiu said he was hit by the police bullet while he was driving at 3a.m around Ibara area of the Abeokuta metropolis.
According to him, the bullet hit him on his right leg and came out to graze the second leg.
“When I was hit by the bullet, I managed to drive to the hospital for treatment where my mother and my brother were told that they would not treat me without a police report.
“My brother and mother went to Ibara police station to obtain the report but they were detained by the police instead.
“My car was also seized and later released to my family on July 31, 2018 after paying N50,000.
“They accused me of being an armed robber but after several hours of persuasion, they gave them the report, but by the time they got to the hospital my condition had worsened.
“After the incident, I spent one year and two months on the hospital bed. I lost everything during the period.
“Early this year, the police from the command headquarters offered my family N250,000 as settlement fee to forget about the case but my family rejected the money”, the petitioner stated.
The Chairman of the panel, Justice Solomon Olugbemi (rtd) adjourned the matter till Monday, July 9 for further hearing.
Speaking earlier, Justice Olugbemi insisted that the panel was not set out to witch-hunt any security operative, but to ensure equity, fairness and justice to all parties involved.
Olugbemi warned against threat and intimidation of the petitioners, saying the panel has the powers to recommend anyone found culpable for trial.
“We will admit evidences that are relevant and at the end, we will make our recommendations. Nobody should have any fear at all.
“Let me warn that no petitioner or witness should be threatened because we have powers under Commission of Enquiry Law of Ogun State to recommend anyone who does that to be charged to the court.
“So, nobody should be threatened and nobody should have the fears that anything would happen to him.
“Already, we have 40 petitions and we are expecting more”. The panel chairman stated.
In his remarks, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice on the state, Akingbolahan Adeniran, expressed the government’s commitment to ensure all victims get justice.
“The governor is particularly interested in the activities of this panel. He is ready to support the panel towards completion of the exercise,” he submitted.