A hairdresser, Esther Demola, has accused her landlord, Bernard Santos, of allegedly breaking into her shop.
Demola said Santos removed her door and exposed her goods to thugs, who allegedly carted away items valued at N994,850.
She said the incident happened at the Abule-Egba area on May 23, 2018, around 3.30pm.
The 31-year-old said her travail began when Santos’s sister-in-law, identified only as Iyalode, came to her shop to take a weave worth N10,000.
She said her refusal to release the item for free made Iyalode to hate her.
Demola said, “Santos and Iyalode had been harassing me at my shop. They made life unbearable for me.
“Sometime ago, Iyalode came to my shop and asked me to give her a weave worth N10,000 for free. I refused because I could not afford to give out the item for free. Since then, she started blackmailing me.”
Demola claimed that Santos, who took sides with Iyalode in the matter, threatened to make life difficult for her.
The Oyo State indigene said her stylist, identified only as Balikis, who was around when Santos allegedly destroyed her shop, called her attention to the break in.
She said before she could get to the scene, her goods had been taken.
Demola explained that she reported the matter at the Area G Police Command, Ogba, where she was made to pay N5,000 by a police officer, ASP Bimpe Babatunde, for mobilisation.
She said despite collecting the money from her, the police, who she suspected of also receiving a bribe from Santos and Iyalode, refused to charge the case to court.
She said, “When we met at the station, they pleaded with me not to charge the matter to court, but I refused.
“On June 1, we were at the station again and the area commander ordered that the matter should be charged to court on Monday, June 4.
“But the police had already compromised my case and refused to charge them to court.
“When I invited Balikis to the station as directed by the area commander, her mother and grandmother refused to allow her. They said Iyalode had been threatening their family after Balikis testified against her (Iyalode) and the landlord at the station.
“I went to see the area commander in his office and he told me that the landlord had not committed any offence by breaking down my door and taking my goods and money.”
Santos, when contacted by our correspondent, said he was not ready to talk to a journalist.
He said, “I don’t want to talk to anybody from PUNCH or any newspaper. You can always talk to my lawyer.”
When our correspondent called back for the contact of the lawyer, he did not pick his calls, which rang out several times.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, urged Demola to be patient, saying investigation was ongoing.
He said, “The complainant should be patient with the police. Investigation is still ongoing. When we find evidential facts, we will definitely charge the matter to court.”
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