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| Bose Bajulaye (inset: Joseph) |
Fifty five-year-old widow, Bose Bajulaye, whose son, Joseph, was arrested for stealing a tricycle and was later transferred to the custody of the State Anti-Robbery Squad of the Lagos State Police Command, has said no amount of denial from the police will quieten her demand for the whereabouts of her son.
Saturday PUNCH had last week reported that even though the Ojodu Police Division said it handed over the suspect to SARS men, the squad had said no record of him in their custody existed.
Bajulaye said police authorities had made no attempt to contact her to hear her story.
The widow who suffered a partial stroke after she was allegedly dragged on the floor out of SARS office when she went there demanding explanation about her son, has now discharged herself from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, even though she has not regained the use of her left arm.
“I can walk now but my left arm is not working yet. I discharged myself because the hospital bills kept piling. I have no money. I don’t even have enough money to eat, so how can I stay in the hospital when there is no one to help me?
“The hospital officials did not want me to leave because I had unsettled bills but I forced myself out. Someone who knew me and saw me when I was dragging myself out of the ward was the one who helped me to settle the hospital bills.”
A source at the hospital said doctors had initially relocated Bajulaye from the first ward where she was admitted for fear for her life.
“She fought with everybody when she wanted to leave. She even abused the nurses. They did not want her to leave because she had not settled her bills but they were just doing their job,” the source said.
Bajulaye wept as she told Saturday PUNCH about her present state.
She said she was fasting more now because there was nothing to eat. She was optimistic that her son was still alive, though.
She said, “I am fasting right now but even if I am not, where is the food? My God has made covenant with me that I would not weep over my child again. I know he is still alive but I just don’t understand why the SARS men are keeping him and denying that he is with them.
“I am not a mad woman, I am not stupid and I am not saying something I don’t know. When I went to Ojodu Police Division and the IPO (Investigating Police Officer) told me that he had been transferred to SARS custody, to prove he was no longer with them, the IPO showed me the transfer file. Why is SARS now denying he is not with them?
“I know my son is still alive. Are they using him for something ritualistic? Is that why they are denying?”
The police have offered no explanation beyond that there was no record showing he was ever with them. No attempt was made to trace his whereabouts from the initial point of arrest – Ojodu Police Division.
Saturday PUNCH contacted the IPO at Ojodu, a policewoman called Eme. She said she did not understand why SARS would deny taking custody of the suspect.
“One evangelist called me on this matter and was even sounding very rude. The file is available in our office. I don’t know why SARS is denying that they took the suspect. We have the duplicate of the transfer file and the transfer signal from SARS. That is all I can say about the matter right now,” she said.
The agent from whom Joseph rented the apartment at Egan area of Igando, told our correspondent on the phone that he was arrested by six SARS operatives who took him to their office at Ikeja before he was forced to pay the N160,000.
He said, “When they came to arrest me, even Joseph was with them. They embarrassed me and took me to their office. I had to call all my relations to help raise the N160,000.
“I notified my lawyer and the money was collected by them in his presence. I don’t know any of the men by name. I signed a document saying that I have paid the money to them but they did not give me a copy of the document.”
When Saturday PUNCH contacted the spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, on Wednesday to get clarification on the claims of SARS on the missing suspect and informed her that the Ojodu Police Division still has the transfer file which is an evidence that SARS indeed got the suspect, she said she would send a signal to the police at Ojodu station so that the file could be sent to the headquarters.
She promised to get back. When she was contacted on Thursday, she said a signal had been sent to Ojodu but she had yet to get a response.
Meanwhile, a wave of angry reactions followed Saturday PUNCH’s last week publication on the issue with many directing their vituperation at SARS.
Some believe SARS must have killed Joseph.
A reader, Don Michael said, “Joseph is already dead. To cover the crime, the complainant will also be killed so that the N160,000 will be shared among SARS operatives. This is purely SARS work. If you doubt this, then you don’t know the Nigeria Police.”
In last week’s publication, Bajulaye said the tricycle stolen by her son was sold for N150,000 and he used the money to rent an apartment. She said when she went to the agent to get a refund of the money to pay back the tricycle’s owner, she was told SARS operatives had come to collect the money and an additional N10,000.
Another reader, Frank, reacted to Michael’s opinion. “As usual, nothing will happen to the policemen involved in this crime,” he said.
Dr. Malik Shabbazz challenged Braide to make sure she provided proper information on the whereabouts of the Joseph.
“Why did they (SARS men) have to collect N160,000 instead of the N150,000 accepted by the offender? They should provide the young man for proper trial and sentencing and not murdering people in the name of police work,” he said.
Marcus Osagie, yet another reader, wondered if SARS was still under the control of the Commissioner of Police, (Umar Manko).
“It is a shame that this is happening in the police that should be protecting and safeguarding lives and properties,” Osagie said.
Mohammed Kabeer said it was unfortunate that Nigerians no longer have any rights when they are involved with security agents.
“It will be very sad if the men of SARS have indeed killed this woman’s son. Somebody, the CP of Lagos State Police Command, the governor of the state or people of goodwill should step up to carry out an investigation into the sudden disappearance of a human being even if he is a suspect,” another reader said.
The Chairman of the Ikeja Branch of the Nigeria Bar Association, Mr. Onyekachi Ubani, reacted to the case, calling on the police commissioner to offer an explanation.
He said, “It is pathetic and clearly condemnable that the police cannot give account of someone in their custody. There should be an explanation from them. I will advise the family to institute a legal action on the matter and I am sure the Human Rights Commission will be interested in the case.
“We are not in any way condoning criminality but if they thought the young man had committed a crime, he is presumed innocent until decided otherwise by a competent court. The proper step was to charge him to court and prepare incontrovertible evidence against him and secure a conviction.
“The commissioner of police should demand an explanation from his men and he should tell the public about the young man’s whereabouts. The problem in the country is that we don’t pursue issues to logical end and this will have a grave impact on the future of this country. There are too many things left unexplained.”
However, our correspondent learnt that the Lagos State Government is willing to take up the case.
Mr. Alex Omorodion of the state Public Advice Centre, who read Saturday PUNCH story said he had informed the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
When a Director in the ministry, Mrs. Dada Fadairo, was contacted, she said the ministry was told that the woman was languishing in the hospital and that she had notified some of the ministry’s social workers to look into the case.
“But the police aspect of the case is legal in nature and can best be handled by the Office of Public Defender. We can help in this direction by liaising with OPD if we get a referral from the woman’s family,” she said.
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