Policemen from the Ibafo division have arrested some residents of Arepo, in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, for allegedly attacking and injuring four officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
The injured FRSC officials reported to the police in the evening of Monday last week.
Our correspondent had reported that the officials had trailed a motorist into Arepo for violating a traffic rule.
Some residents were said to have attacked the officers, tearing their uniforms, before they were saved by some military officers.
A resident said the FRSC officers, who were not satisfied with the way the matter was settled, reported to policemen at the Ibafo station, who subsequently swooped on the area and apprehended some of the suspected assailants.
He said, “The police came to the area and arrested some of the residents. They took them to the Ibafo Police Station.”
The Sector Commander, Ogun State FRSC, Mr. Adegoke Adetunji, said his men were not involved in the incident.
“I have spoken with the commander in charge of the Mowe command that covers that area, and he said none of his men was involved,” he said.
The Sector Commander, Lagos State FRSC, Mr. Hyginus Omeje, said he was also not aware of the incident, promising to call back our correspondent.
But he had yet to call back as of the time of filing the report.
Findings by our correspondent on Tuesday, however, showed that the affected FRSC officers were from the Lagos State command.
It was learnt that the officers belonged to a team of Special Intervention Patrol, and had manned a section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
A source, who was familiar with the details of the incident, said the Arepo motorist had refused to park by the roadside after he was ordered to do so for violating a traffic rule.
He said, “The motorist was towing a vehicle, whose rim was scratching the road. The FRSC officers flagged him down, but he refused. When he got to the Arepo U-turn, he slowed down and the head of the patrol team asked one of the FRSC men to enter the vehicle and force him to stop. Instead, he drove away with the officer. The action alarmed the other members of the team, who then followed him.”
The source said upon getting into Arepo, one of the officers started taking photos of the vehicle, which angered the driver who demanded that the phone be given to him.
When the officer refused, the driver allegedly used a horsewhip to flog him.
“The driver said he was a legionnaire. He flogged the officer with a horsewhip and after the officer collected it from him, he wanted to give him a headbutt, but he ended up injuring himself.
“When other residents, saw the blood on his head, they attacked the FRSC officers. One of the officers then quickly called OP MESA officers who were passing by. The military men intervened and dispersed everybody,” he added.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed that the officers reported the case at the Ibafo Police Station, adding that two of the suspects had been arrested.
Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the matter would be charged to court at the end of investigation.
He said, “They beat up the FRSC officers while on their official duty in their official uniform.
“We believe cases like this ought to be diligently prosecuted because it is an insult to all security operatives. Such is not allowed in Ogun State and we will use this to serve as a deterrent to others.”
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