Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has explained why he ordered the arrest of four estate guards and a woman, who was said to be a widow.
Point News247 reports that Odumosu, who was recently promoted to Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), is due to retire this month.
Point News247 had earlier reported that a row broke out between him and residents of the Brooks Estate, Magodo, Isheri in Lagos.
It began with estate’s private security guards allegedly denying him entry to the premises, which the management denied.
Spokesman of the Lagos Police Command, Adekunle Ajisebutu, in a statement, said Odumosu visited the estate on Saturday to meet a strategic partner at a function.
According to him, the CP was prevented from entering the estate by “some overzealous private security guards.
The statement reads: “All appeals to the security men to allow the CP go to see someone at a function where an urgent matter bordering on security was to be discussed, fell on deaf ears even when they had foreknowledge of his coming.
“In spite of this deliberate humiliation, the senior police officer remained calm.
“When it became obvious that the security men were going overboard, the CP after about 30 minutes humiliation, ordered the arrest of four of the security men, leaving one.
“However, in order not to make the estate porous, the Commissioner of Police immediately posted well-armed policemen at the gate to support the security man left behind.
“A few minutes later, a female resident of the estate later identified as Adebola Fatiregun, who didn’t witness the incident but heard of it, stormed the gate in anger, inciting other residents against the Commissioner of Police and his aides.
“She was also arrested for inciting violence and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
“All those arrested were taken to the Isheri Police Division where they made statements.
“They were subsequently released few minutes after, following intervention of notable individuals.”
Ajisebutu noted that at no time did the Commissioner of Police shut or lock down the estate.
He added: “The police boss could not have done that for whatever reason, knowing that the Estate is a residential one.”
He said some residents of the estate in solidarity with the arrested security men, deliberately closed the gate, thereby creating a temporary gridlock.
“This they did after the CP had left, perhaps to blackmail him and make him release the security men.
“It should be stated here that, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides for freedom of movement.
“The police in particular are statutorily permitted to enter any public place at any time.
“The Brooks Estate is a public place and the roads leading into it are highways and as such, no one has the power to prevent police officers in uniform from entering the estate or any such public places.
“The internal security arrangements of the estates and other public places nonetheless, the statutory powers of the police to have unfettered access to public places must be acknowledged and respected.
“Therefore, managements or authorities of estates in the state are advised to constantly brief their private security guards in this regard.
“Any restriction deliberately put in the way of the police in any of the estates will not be tolerated.
“Offenders will be dealt with according to the law, just as the police will not condone any form of embarrassment and recklessness,” Ajisebutu said.
But, the estate, in a statement, said its security operatives on duty, having not had prior knowledge of Odumosu’s visit and in a bid to assist him with directions to the house of his host, sought to ascertain the particular resident he was visiting.
This, the statement said, the Commissioner interpreted as an insult on his person and ordered the immediate arrest of all the security operatives on duty even after gaining access into the estate to attend the party.
According to the statement, a resident who happens to be a widow that was passing by with her three children was also ordered to be arrested alongside her children by the CP for trying to intervene.
The statement reads: “The executives, represented by the Vice-Chairman and the Publicity Secretary, after being briefed of the situation, proceeded to the party to apologise on behalf of the security operatives for any disrespect caused to the Commissioner and plead for the release of the resident, her three children and the security operatives. These pleas fell on deaf ears.
“At this point, the executives, members of the Estate Security Committee, the Estate Chief Security Officer and some residents had converge on the estate gate to plead with the commissioner on his way out with the hope that his anger would have subsided after enjoying the party.
“To our amazement, the commissioner came down from the car on his way out, said he was insulted by our estate and further instructed that the remaining security operatives who replaced the arrested ones should also be arrested.
“This resulted in complete shutdown of the estate as no one could go in or come out as our estate gate is automated and the operatives with the access token were all arrested with the token.
“This further resulted in the traffic jam that occurred on CMD Road for over four hours.
“Pleas from different angles were made to the Commissioner with no yield until about 11pm when he finally gave in.
“The estate was finally able to bail the security operatives who were already put in cell and the resident with her children who were put behind the counter at about 11:30pm.”