Oyo trader beaten for blaming policeman for cash

A pap trader, Babajide Oluwaseun, has accused a policeman attached to the Ojongbodu Police Station of assaulting him in the Owode area of Oyo State.

Oluwaseun, who posted photos of his injuries on Facebook, said he was assaulted because he blamed the policeman, Sharafa, for not concentrating on controlling traffic at the Owode Roundabout which allegedly led to a collision between the bike he (Oluwaseun) was on and another vehicle.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, Oluwaseun alleged that the policeman hit him repeatedly with a baton as he sustained injuries in the face and his phone was destroyed.

He said, “On January 23, 2023, I was going to Cele, Oyo town. When I got to Owode around that roundabout, a policeman stopped us for the traffic, and we stopped. He later passed us.

“Along the line, he passed another vehicle that was coming towards Oja Akesan; that was when the vehicle hit us and we fell. I went to meet the policeman that why would he pass another vehicle after he had given us the permission to pass.

“That was when he started saying we were at fault and abused us. Before we knew what was going on, the officer started hitting me in my hand and I got injured. People around took me to a nearby chemist, where I was treated and stitched up.”

Oluwaseun said officers at the Ojongbodu Police Station asked him to delete the photo of the cop, which he posted online.

He said, “People begged me to let go of what happened and I agreed. We managed to snap his picture. When I got home, I posted the picture on social media and the post went viral. Later, I was called from the Ojongbodu Police Station.

“They went to my mum’s place that I should remove the post from Facebook. I said if they wanted me to remove the post, they should allow me to see the officer and ask him some questions on what I did to deserve what he did to me. This morning (Wednesday), the officer came to my shop to beg for forgiveness.

“People have been begging me to retract the post and I said once they provide me with money to repair my phone, I would do that. I also need money for treatment, but my mum said I should let it go.”

Oluwaseun, a former student of the Oyo College of Education, lamented that the harassment by security officers in the area was on the increase.

“I just want the officer to realise that what he did was wrong. I was not a suspect and I did nothing wrong, but he started beating me,” he added.

Another video posted on Facebook by Oluwaseun, which was seen by our correspondent, showed the policeman apologising for the incident.

Sharafa, in the video, blamed the devil for his action.

He said,” I am not like that; this is my fourth year as a community police officer and I have never been found culpable of something like this. God should not let us be used by the devil and I promise never to repeat such again.”

The state police spokesperson, Adewale Osifeso, urged the trader to report the case to the command headquarters for necessary action.

(Punch)