Police brutality, visually impaired man’s search for justice

...Sends SoS to AGF, IGP for N20m court judgement enforcement  

By Rowland ’Shuwa

'Police is your friend’ is a slogan the Nigeria Police Force enthusiastically wants the general populace to believe. However, the incessant gory attacks on innocent citizens, extortions and unprovoked attacks on the same defenceless masses suggests otherwise.  In this report, Rowland ’Shuwa, recounts the ordeal of one of such victims of police brutality and his determination to get justice.

  

A casual glance at Mr. Olaide Adebayo would have revealed nothing special save for the dark shades he had on but here is a young man who has gone to the proverbial lion’s den.

Speaking with this reporter, Mr. Adebayo revealed that “when I lost my parent some years ago I made up my mind to succeed. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but I was determined to get educated.”

And so, for about 5 years after his secondary school education he worked as an Okada rider to make ends meet. By sheer dint of hard work and determination, Mr. Adebayo got admitted to read Economics Mathematics at Osun state College of Education, Ilaorungun.

A proud mathematician who hopes to one day become either a banker or university don Mr. Adebayo’s dream was butted away by the butt of a police gun.

Mr. Adebayo before, after discharge and now

Recounting the gory details of his ordeal Mr. Adebayo said, “It all started on Thursday, June 25th, 2009. I was going to Alagbayan village near Odoba, I was looking at the village just ahead when I came upon a police check point. They flagged me down and asked what I had for them. I told them I was a student but one of them said even students have money. Later on they said I should go, I was still on the side walk when the next policeman who was a few meters away from the others hit me on the eye with the stick in his hand.”

One would be tempted to construe the policeman’s action as a mistake but the events that follow, according to Mr. Adebayo, negates that line of reasoning. Mr. Adebayo recounts that he was writhing on the ground covered in blood when the others saw this they all rushed to their van and made to leave the scene.

When the policeman, later identified as Mukailu Gujuba with force number 768142, saw the turn of events instead of helping Mr. Adebayo he did not. “The stick had hit just one eye and I was drenched with blood. I held on to his trousers crying that he should take me to the hospital but rather than help me this policeman hit me several times on the other eye with the butt of his gun until I was weak. He dragged me into the bush and placed my machine on me then joined his colleagues in their vehicle and they drove away leaving me in a pool of blood.” Mr. Adebayo recalled.

Like the proverbial cat, this young man seems to have nine lives as he was rescued, the policemen were apprehended and charged to court but the brutality resulted in the loss of Mr. Adebayo’s left eye and also caused severe damage to his right eye making him visually impaired.  

After a rigorous, energy sapping legal battle, Mr. Adebayo had cause to smile on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013, as the High Court sitting in Ibadan delivered judgement on his case, suit no M/554/2001 and awarded the sum of 20million against the Nigerian Police.

The Nigeria Police appealed the judgement but on Tuesday, April 15, 2014 the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division upheld the judgement of the High Court.

However, it was not Uhuru yet as the judgment remained unsatisfied despite all attempts and pleas by Mr. Adebayo to the police authorities.

While pleading with the Attorney-General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris to use their good offices to ensure the enforcement of the court judgement, Mr. Adebayo stated that he had been able to receive only N313,000 out of the N20million awarded.

Speaking with this medium, the now visually impaired gentleman said he is currently undergoing excruciating poverty and faces ejection because of unpaid rents. He added that his children had been driven away from school because of his inability to foot their school bills.

In his words, “The AGF and IGP should please kindly help me and pay the money quickly because I have suffered. I am married with two children who can’t go to school because of my inability to pay their school fees.

“The place I am leaving now, my landlord wants to eject me because I owe him two years’ rent. It has not been easy feeding my family. I am now a beggar, going up and down, to my friends, including going to garages to beg from my friends who are drivers.

“That is how I have been living. I really need help. I need the remaining judgement money paid to me.

Doctor's report

“I appeal to all well meaning Nigerians, human rights activists to help me appeal to the AGF and IG to use their good offices to direct the relevant authorities to comply with the judgement of the court to enable me undergo the series of eye surgeries recommended by the medical practitioners so as to save me from imminent blindness which will make him a liability not only to my immediate family, but to the society at large.”

Appeal doc

He stated that the passionate appeal to the AGF and IG had become necessary because his right eye had started to deteriorate. He added that medical practitioners had recommended another series of surgeries on the eye to prevent him from becoming totally blind.

According to him, his lawyer had written to the AGF on February 26, 2016. The letter was acknowledged on March 24, 2016 by Mrs. Ngozi Calista Nkem on behalf of the AGF but till date nothing has been heard again.