AN Ibadan based legal practitioner, Barrister Tunde Ojehomon has petitioned the Lagos State Police Command over the unlawful arrest, prejudicial stigmatization, harassment, false accusation and detention of his client, an oil marketer and owner of Alaka Petroleum, Alhaji Abayomi Alaka for having a link with the deadly Badoo cult.
Contained in a press statement issued and made available to journalists in Ibadan, Barrister Tunde said the actions of the Lagos State Police Command shows that they have no respect for fundamental human rights and the rule of law by detaining Alhaji Abayomi Alaka, saying that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Section 36 (5) stipulates that a person is presumed innocent until his guilt is proven beyond reasonable doubt in a court of competent jurisdiction which the Lagos State Police Command did not follow.
The legal practitioner said his client was wrongfully arrested, detained, paraded without preliminary investigation to ascertain a reasonable degree of involvement, culpability only for them to release Alhaji Alaka when they realized that they have trampled on his fundamental human rights. He, also noted that he was even released without any surety.
He stressed that the Police Command has no right under the law to parade suspect yet to be tried in the court of law and convicted, adding that his client has never been, he is not and will never be a member of any cult or notorious groups that is disturbing the peace of residence of Lagos State.
Barrister Tunde further argued that the allegation against his client is untrue, baseless and a mere deliberate attempt to damage his hard earned reputation and image.
Barrister Tunde then called on the Inspector General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris to caution the overzealousness of his men against baseless stigmatization of innocent citizens via prejudicial parade.
He said as a law abiding citizen, his client has approached the court of law to seek redress to the issue.
He, however requested the Lagos State Police Command to tender an unreserved apology to his client by placing their apology letter in some National Dailies so that members of the public will know that Alhaji Alaka was wrongfully accused, lamenting that the Police has caused a lot of havoc and psychological trauma to him.
