Mr Oseni, Wasiu, who has a festering wound on his leg and recently returned from Kirikiri Prisons in Lagos State, has narrated how a policeman, simply identified as Supol Akeem, arrested him while returning from buying food for his children, brutalised and caused him to go to prison.
Wasiu said he was worried that he was about to lose his leg due to the festering wound on his leg and wanted the Nigeria Police Force to compensate him.
Below is the story of Wasiu as narrated by him…
He said: “My name is Oseni Wasiu Ajadi Adewale known as Oseni Wasiu aka Wasiu Royal.
“I am an Oyo State indigen. I was born in Ibadan. After graduating from secondary school in 2002, I came to Lagos in search of greener pastures; and how to feed myself while working.
“I started working as a transporter. On the 14th of July 2024, the commercial transport vehicle that I drove had a mechanical fault at Iyana-Isolo. It was not my vehicle, I usually deliver it to the owner so I couldn’t leave it there, so I got a mechanic to fix the bus so that I could present the bus to the owner. The repairs took my time, and the mechanic did not finish till past 10: pm.
“On getting home, my children aged 14, 10 and 6 years old have not slept. They told me that the food I left for them before I left home had been eaten in the afternoon and there was no food left to eat in the evening.
“Meanwhile their mother passed on about two months ago. I knew how one used to feel when he or she was hungry, so I couldn’t let them go to bed without food.
“I left home that night to go buy food for them at a canteen nearby. We call it Alhaja’s place at Oshodi Road. On my way back home from buying the food at Alhaja’s canteen, I noticed someone packed a vehicle closely behind me.
“I noticed he is a police officer attached to Makinde Police Station at Oshodi known as Supol Akeem aka Spider.
“I explained myself and pleaded with him, also showed him the food I went to buy for my children, but he was so heady and tough with me. He knows me very well within the community, he knows I’m a commercial bus driver.
“I begged him for several minutes, but he still took me to the station with the food I bought for my children. I live in a rented apartment; I’m not living in a family house where if my parents didn’t see me, they could take care of my children.
“No one knew I was arrested at that moment, and I didn’t know how my phone got misplaced so I couldn’t call anyone.
“As I continued begging him, he refused to listen to my plea, he was holding an iron (baton) which he used to hit me hard on my right leg. I didn’t even know it was something that would degenerate to this level.
“I knew the leg hurt me excruciatingly. Akeem then took me away by force with the food in takeaway packs in my hand.
“I took it as a fate, believing the next morning he would let me go, so I could go to meet my children but to my surprise, he ordered all of us that he picked that night to enter the cell. We were about six in number; some called their family who came to bail them. Those of us who couldn’t reach out to our families were asked to write down our names. Akeem then ordered us to board the minibus known as Korope, we were taken to the task force office at Oshodi without being caught stealing and not in conflict with the law.
“I was told to write a statement at the task force office, about 30 minutes later I was called along with others that the lawyer wanted to see us.
“I explained everything that happened to the magistrate, and with all my plea, I was sentenced to three weeks in Kirikiri correctional centre. I felt so bad and hurt because my children didn’t know my whereabouts or what happened to me.
“When I got to Kirikiri Prison, my leg started developing much pain and started swelling. On waking up the next day, I noticed it had burst due to the injury Supol Akeem aka Spider inflicted on me.
“Since then, it became a big sore till I left Kirikiri on the 10th of August 2024. Since then, the pain has continued, I couldn’t sleep or eat, I couldn’t do anything nor go to work because of my leg. It’s just dripping water and hurting.
“When I got to the health centre at Oshodi, I was told that it would be treated just for that day, that if I wanted them to continue treating my leg I should get a police report, I wondered because I didn’t sustain gunshot injury.
“The handcuff Supol Akeem used on me, was too tight and it caused me serious injuries on my wrists. The correctional Centre at Kirikiri tried for me because they have a health facility within, I was given medications and injections, but it doesn’t look like I got real treatment.
“I was taken to task force because I didn’t see anyone to come bail me at Makinde Police Station. I was looking at my house ahead when the officer got me arrested. The food I went to buy for my children was taken along with me to the task force office, yet it was evident that I went to buy food for my children. I showed the food to the magistrate, yet I got jailed for three weeks.
“I want the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to intervene and do the needful on the officer that almost killed me and rendered me disabled. The public should also hear my cry and help me.”
