“…he refused to pay my money” – lawmaker
Fresh facts have emerged on how two Kwara state House of Assembly lawmakers break into an apartment and beat up the occupants. The case have been trending online over the last few days, however, THE INFORMANT247 METRO yesterday visited the scene.
Honourable Ganiyu Abolarin representing Isapa/Ekiti and his counterpart representing Share/Okeodo, Hon. Owolabi Razak at the Kwara State House of Assembly have been alleged of assaulting one Mr. Ogundokun Saheed after breaking into his rented apartment at night under the claim that he failed to renew his tenancy fees.
Narrating his ordeal, Ogundokun told our correspondent that the drama started at about 10pm when an unknown man continuously banged at his gate. However, he noted that because it was risky, after coming out, he requested the man to identify himself to substantiate his claim of being an officer from F’ Division from where he had ealier claimed to come from to invite him for questioning at the station. Ogundokun said he refused to accept such invitation because it was night, around past 10pm by that time.
In continuation of his narration, he said just an hour later after the man left with an agreement to come in the earlier hours of the day after.
He said to his surprising, he started hearing noise again and refused to open for security purposes, but before the bang’s noice could diminished, some able bodied men had scaled through the fence, removed the “aluminum window” and damaged his burglary. Immediately after forcefully gaining entrance into his apartment, he vividly identified the leader of the gang as Hon. Ganiyu Abolarin, His landlord – acompanied by Hon. Owolabi Razak – before they start to beat, to the point of injury, him and his 3 colleagues.
He claimed about 8 of them were around including two armed police officers- but where trying to calm the situation.
After the assault, he said, “they threw me and my friend out through the window and ask the police to arrest us. We were taken to F’ Division where they detained us on allegation that we are illegal occupants, till the next day when our lawyer came to bail us.”
It was learnt that the victim was admitted to an hospital, after release, for three consecutive days before being discharged.
When question on what led to his refusal to pay his rent fee and locking up his apartment. He explained his action was at the instances of the landlord’s seizure of the prepaid meter credit card he personally applied for when his flat persistently experienced electricity outage as a result of outrageous bills from the PHCN monthly. “I wrote to the PHCN to deactivate my bills pending the delivery of the prepaid meter. When moving into the apartment, I have to clear the accrued electricity charges amounting to N60,000, and after few months, I received information from Lagos that my bill has been activated with a new tenant with whom I will be sharing electricity bills and this led to an outrageous monthly charges which rose to N120,000.”
“I called the caretaker and made him know that he will be liable for any payment as he only stays occasionally in Ilorin Thus I ordered the PHCN to deactivate my bills pending the time my prepaid meter will be delivered.”
He further maintained that the caretaker agreed to use the rent fee of N200,000 to clear the accrued electricity charges. “When my prepaid meter was delivered, to exemplify transparency, I instructed the caretaker to show it to the landlord, Hon. Ganiyu Abolarin before installment,”
“My landlord however showed absolute aversion to our agreement by withholding the credit card. This affected me negatively as I was not able to subscribe to the card.”
Consequently when contacted, Hon. Ganiyu Abolarin confirmed the incidence but, refuted the claims of beating any his tenant. He said, ” He locked up his apartment for 2 years upon the expiration of his tenancy and he followed legal processes by inviting the police to settle the matter, claiming Mr. Ogundokun was released the following day.
Consequently, it has been reliably gathered that Ogundokun’s lawyer has submitted a petition to the state House of Assembly urging the speaker to investigate the matter and take drastic action.
However, when THE INFORMANT247 METRO visited the scene yesterday, 30th of July 2019, at sir Abbey Street, Awolowo Road Tanke, ilorin. Our correspondent could see the damaged “standing fan” – which the victim claimed was used in beating him. The bulgalary through which the honourable and his accomplices were said to have forced their entrance was also seen, the burglary was made of iron and removed from outside. The compond has about four flats including the victim’s.
Consequently, the victim’s lawyer, Barr. Y. Ajibade esq. has sent a petition for criminal conspiracy, criminal trespass, criminal force and assault, false imprisonment, threat to life, abuse of office, to the State House of Assembly speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi Salihu against the two honourable. The letter which was obtained by our correspondent reads, “We are the solicitors to Mr Ogundokun Saheed of Sir Abbey Street, Awolowo Area, Tanke, Ilorin subsequently refers to as our client and on whose behalf and instruction we present this petition against Honourable Ganiyu Abolarin and Owolabi Razak members representing Isapa/Ekiti and Share/Okeodo constituencies respectively for acts amounting to Criminal Conspiracy, Criminal Trespass, Criminal force and Assault, False Imprisonment, Threat to life, and abuse of office against our client.”
“Our client was attacked and brutalized by the aforementioned members of the Kwara State House of Assembly. These members are under your leadership, it informs the reason of presenting this petition to you first.”
“Our client informed us and verily believed him to be true that he is a lawful tenant of a two bedroom flat situate at Sir Abbey Street, Awolowo Area, Tanke, Ilorin, Property of Honourable Ganiyu Abolarin subsequently refers to as Landlord.”
“Our client informed us that on 17 th day of July 2019 he received news that his wife paternal grandmother died at the early hour of the day and decided to travel down to Ilorin together with his colleagues at work for funeral ceremony same day. He had already schedule that by 7 am of the next day they would be travelling back to Lagos.”
“Our client informed us that at about 10 pm on the night of 17 th July 2019, he was together with his colleagues in his apartment at Sir Abbey Street, Awolowo area of Tanke when a neighbour came knocking that someone is at the gate looking for him. But since he was not expecting anybody he asked his other colleagues whether they were expecting any visitor they all answered in negative, then they all went out together for security reason to see who was at the gate.”
“Our client informed us further that the man at the gate said he is a policeman sent by landlord that his attention is needed at A Division Police Station Ilorin. The police man was asked of his Identity card but could not produce any but for benefit of doubt our client told him it was already late at night. They exchange contacts and both agreed to 10 am the next day and the man left.”
“Our client further informed us that after about an hour when the man at the gate had left they heard a loud bang on our gate and that they decided to ignore as it was already past 11 at night. Within a twinkle of eyes we heard their voices inside the compound shouting open your gate. The way the house was structured is that every apartment has burglary proof both in front and at the back.”
“Our client informed us, further that to his dismay, suddenly, he saw flash of torch light on his face in his bedroom, to his consternation they have already pull down a window together with the burglary and scaled through the house via the window. The next moment they started bashing him with his other colleagues. In the face of overwhelming and disabling terror he said they lost spirit to fight back because everything happened with the speed of light and they were about nine to ten men.”
“Our client further informed us that the first person that started bashing him was later identified to be Honourable Razaq Owolabi. After they had received serious bashing inside the apartment, he was thrown out of the house through the broken window like common criminal or animal by the so called Honourable Razaq Owolabi and in the process he sustained severs bodily injury.”
“Our client informed us that while on ground outside the house, he identified landlord vividly and said to him that so you are the masquerade behind the mask. Our client said despite the fact that he sustained obvious bodily injury and evidence of manifest excruciating pain written all over him the landlord was not perturb rather he ordered the two uniform police men to arrest us.”
“Our client further informed us that they were taken to F. Division police Station Tanke, wherein the landlord levied against them offence of illegal Occupant and craved for them to be locked up. He called our client many unprintable names and at the same time threatened fire and brainstorm. He said he was ready to deal with him to his last kobo and that he would demonstrate to him how influential he is.”
“Our client informed us that he did not know when he was taking to hospital. He later found out later that he was rushed to the hospital in the midnight when he lost consciousness. By the time he woke at the Hospital he saw two police men who led him back to the cell where they locked his other colleagues.”
“Our client further informed us that at about 5:15 pm of 18 th July 2019 the Landlord and his friends Honourable Razaq Owolabi came back to police Station since midnight they locked them up. Y.Y. Ajibade Esq. of Exact Legal Associates was there at the Station around that time. We had a meeting with them in D.P.O’s office. At the meeting it was established that the matter is that of Tenant, Landlord and Agent. D.P.O adjourned the meeting to the next day which was 19 th July 2019 and demands the presence of the agent of the house to shed more light to the case.”
“At the meeting the next day which was 19 th July 2019. The landlord did not deny agent as the man in charge of his property since 2014 to 2018 and it was equally not in dispute that agent was the one who gave that apartment out to our client. The issues in dispute are payment of rent of 2019 which was due since November 2018 and refund of money used by our client to process the prepaid meters.”
“Having listened to the whole story D.P.O in his wisdom said to the landlord that as a public figure that he should not have taken laws into his hands. Burgling our client apartment in the middle of the night and bashing him together with his colleagues were actions not befitting of his political status. D.P.O gave him hint that he should apologize to our client but Honourable Ganiyu Abolarin and Honourable Razaq Owolabi were dismissive.”
“This action should not be allowed to slide or swept under carpet. They must be investigated for this inhuman behavior. Behavior not worthy of persons of their caliber, it is barbaric for a whole house of Assembly members to think the way to eject a lawful tenant is by bashing them in the middle of the night with the help of hoodlums. It should be said in clear terms that breaking a burglary and scaling through the window to gain access to an apartment late in the night to eject lawful tenant is distasteful and animalistic.”
“We urge you sir, to use your good office to investigate this matter thoroughly as we are contemplating legal action against them and we therefore, demand public apology and a huge compensation for Trespass, Assault, Battery and False imprisonment”.
Our correspondent also visited the F’ division of the police command but the officer in-charge was unavailable though when contacted on call, he made it known he cannot speak to the press on the issue except with prior permission.
The Police Public Relation Officer, Dsp. Ajayi Okasanmi confirmed the incident to our correspondent but said investigation is still on.
