A Lagos Lawyer and Member of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Lagos Branch, Nwota Chinedu Esq, has narrated how he nearly died as a result of the brutality he suffered in the hand of the officers of Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) while attempting to serve officers of the Agency, a court order he obtained against them.

From his hospital bed, the Lagos lawyer in an emotion laden voice narrated to NEWSMEN the horror he experienced while being brutalized by the officers of the Agency.

Below is his full story

 

2. My name is Nwota Chinedu, a member of NBA Lagos branch.

3. I am a legal Practitioner in the firm of Alphacentric Partners of 31 Igbosere Road, Lagos Island, Lagos, said firm has a working relationship with Messrs Olukunle Oyewole & Co. of Suite 2 Right Wing, 2nd Floor, Mandilas Building, Simpson Street, Lagos Island, Lagos

4. I was briefed by Okoro Ogbonnaya, Ikechukwu Simon, Kevin Mmadueke, Ogbonnaya Francis, Okezie Oriaku, Aliyu Mohammed, Ibrahim Ismail (whom I would later refer to “My Clients”) and other members of Bennie Moore Traders Association on a tenancy matter involving them and about 411 lawful tenants at 13/17 breadfruit street, Lagos island.
we filed a fundamental human right action in the Lagos State High Court in suit NO: LD/11815MFHR/2021 for the enforcement of their rights.

7. On 16th September 2021, Hon. Justice Olufunke Sule-Amzat of Court 51 of the High Court of Lagos State, delivered judgment in favor of the Applicants

8. On 13th October 2021, the Sheriffs of the Lagos State High Court executed the relief 3 in page 12 wherein my lord ordered the immediate unsealing of the sealed property.

9. On 15th of October 2021, the Secretary of the Association called our office that Men from Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) together with thugs stormed the place of business at 13/17 Breadfruit Street, Lagos Island and ordered the business people to vacate the premises, I was directed to ascertain the state of events.

10. When I arrived the venue, the situation was already charged and I was directed to the Leader of the team one TPL Alaka Y.O who I showed a copy of the judgment of the Court.

11. Unfortunately he refused to receive the said process consequent upon which I directed the members to take a video record of me addressing the said TPL Alaka Y. O, I also encouraged the business owners that on account of the judgment they should not allow themselves to be intimidated by persons who were on illegal duty.

12. When the said TPL Alaka Y. O discovered that the traders would not be intimidated he motioned one of the thugs to attack me after which he and his team left the premises.

14. On the 28th day of October 2021, our office was again called that the same team from the Lagos State Building Control Agency with all manner of thugs had struck and were already removing the doors of some of the shops of the occupants thereby exposing their goods to the risk of being carted away by thieves.

15. I immediately raced to the venue to find out what was going on, unfortunately the moment I got to the Plaza at 13/17 Breadfruit Street, a LASBCA official sighted me and ordered the task force officers who accompanied them to arrest me.

16. The policemen thereafter manhandled me, seized my phones and dumped me in a Lagos State Taskforce Detention Van.

17. I was driven round different locations from 9: 15 am until about 6 p.m without any means of communicating my location to anyone.

18. When I was ordered to disembark from the vehicle at about 6p.m I discovered that I had been forcefully transported from Lagos Island to the office of LASBCA in Ikeja.

19. At the premises, the GM of LASBCA directed the agents of the task force officers to beat me and the 4 others that were also arrested. The GM compelled me to lie down on the floor of the premises and insisted that as a lesser human I could not address him while standing.

In the words of Mr. Gbolahan Oki the General Manager Lagos State building Control Agency (Lasbca) he will beat the so called law out of me and used all manner of ethnic jargon on me not limited to Omo Igbos Osi, Biafraud etc.

20. One of them, that asked me to handover my pen in the police van slapped me in the face at lasbca office and forcefully took the pen from me, I bought the pen in one of my trip to China before Covid-19 lockdown.

20. I was beaten with 4 other detainees, pictures of me were taken with others at the instructions thereafter I was taken back into the Van and driven to Bolade Oshodi taskforce office where I was detained without anyone telling me my offence to deserve the dehumanization and sub human treatments.

21. Police refused to get me any medical assistant even though I was having difficulty in breathing.

23. On 29th October 2021 Friday at about 5 am I was brought out of the cell with 4 other detainees, Uche Udem, James Ezenwa, Owolabi Usman to give statements to the police and we must backdate it to 28th October that the taskforce office received us.

24. Around 11 am I was allowed access to my phones and I contacted the office and my brother who raced to the place and was told to wait for Lasbca lawyer. One Mr. Ovie with phone 08177224166 he came to the cell where I was detained and showed me my mugshot from his phone and told me the only way to make all these go away is for me to HANDOFF the brief. I bluntly refused his suggestion, he stormed out.

26. Another Lasbca Lawyer Odugbem with phone 08060948228 came around 1pm I was again brought out of the cell, he told me to undertake not file fundamental human right against his agency and he will see what he can do,
I refused to make promises, he wished me luck and left to his credit he did not oppose the administrative bail

27. Eventually around 7 PM on Friday the Taskforce Chairman granted me police bail to go and take care of my health, eventually the bail condition was my brother should keep his car as collateral for my bail, which he did with a condition that he can bring mine to exchange his.

28. On 30th October 2021, he took my car to Lagos State taskforce office bolade Oshodi and exchanged it with his, as he needed his car to earn a living. So my car is still at taskforce custody.

28.Soon after I was released, on our way to the hospital I became unconscious, they rushed me to Ason Medical center ketu, where I was admitted,

30. I am referred to general hospital for further medical care and tests.

SOURCE:  BarristerNG.com