TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN -
TA NI NRO TEMI FUNN?????
MY PREDICAMENT
Agbodemu Ishola Musbau after surviving gun shots fired at me by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad SARS,Lagos state police command, I was again brutalized and beaten ruthlessly by this same officers who are meant to ensure the safety of a common Nigerian.
This is how it happened: On Wednesday 8th of March, I was called by the Officer-in-Charge SARS, Umar Paiko who said he heard about the incidents that happened on Jones Street Ebute Metta lagos Mainland local government how I survived the gun shots and the boys that were in his custody. He invited me to come to his office on Thursday 9th of March and he promised that the boys from my community will be released.
When I got to the Police Command at Ikeja, I had to wait outside because OC had already told me he went to Zone 2 to meet the Assistant Inspector General of Police. While waiting for him, the Lagos State PPRO, Cole Famous called and I informed him I was within the Police Command after which he demanded we see. I met him at the office of the Commissioner of Police and we had a discussion on how to resolve the issue. I said the main issue at hand is to secure the release of the boys and that the OC had already promised to do that.
Instead of going outside the premises, I stayed within the compound patiently expecting the OC. That was when I saw family members of those that were detained, I told them to calm down that the boys will be released once the OC returns.
While standing, Biola who led the team of SARS officers who came to Jones Street on March 3rd, met me and asked if I'm Agbodemu. After confirming my personality, I was grabbed, hit and that was the beginning of the beating. I was punched, Slapped, dragged on the floor, clothes removed and left half naked. I was beaten to the extent that I couldn't see anything for over 45 minutes.
During that time, the officers (11 of them) picked their phones and were taking videos of me being brutalized and sitting half naked. The local charm on my waist was removed and hung on my neck with the recording ongoing and a cameraman was later invited to take the footages. Reasons behind this, I don't know. Perhaps, it's to come up with a fake story and publish it on the social media.
Later, the OC arrived and called for me and the 11 officers. In his office, he refused to comment about seeing me half naked and brutally injured with most parts of my body swollen. I couldn't walk since I couldn't see clearly, I was helped to walk to his office. The only thing he said was that the boys should be released. I don't want to believe he is behind the attack by his boys.
At the OC's office, 6 men were brought and I was told to sign that six men were released to me at no cost. Though I couldn't see clearly because of the way I was beaten, I could recognize that two among then were not from my community. Meanwhile, when the incident occurred on 3rd of March, 6 people were arrested, on 4th of March, Taoreed Popoola was released after paying #100,000 and on 5th of March another person, Segun Akinloye was released after paying #50,000. So, those that are left to be released are four people. The idea of telling me to sign for 6 people when it ought to be 4 is worrying. When I declined to sign, I was beaten again, so under duress and victimization I had to sign for six people (where two of them are total strangers.) The idea I think is to deny that they ever collected money for the release of two of them.
Note if not my intervention and public our cry they have prepared charge against and plan to take them to court with fabricated statement.
So, after brutalising me and leaving me helpless, the 4 boys were released for no fee but I was made to pay by the pains inflicted on me. Of course I have paid, because I know how much I have spent so far, done test and still on the hospital bed.
In all these, I don't know what I've done wrong to deserve being beaten and humiliated by SECURITY OFFICERS. When has it become the duties of security officers to take law into their hands? Meanwhile, my only crime was to seek for the release of my community members.
During our conversation at the Police command, I made them know I'm a member of a volunteer security group, Vigilante and what they said was why would I as a security officer stand against the Police. That I'm a member of the Vigilante Group does not mean I should keep mute about the ills of any security agency.
They talked about the local charm and I said I had to protect myself since I have been attacked various times.
In 2010, I was shot on the neck and I was hospitalised for months. It took the intervention of SERAC for me not to die.
In 2014, my stomach was pierced and my intestines were brought out, this also was in the fight for the protection of fellow community members. Thanks to Amnesty International for taking adequate care of me. If these and many others have happened and I didn't seek to protect myself with the so called local charms, maybe I would have been long gone.
I am lying at the Emergency Unit at the Federal Medical Center, Ebute Metta receiving care. Up till now, blood is still dripping from ear, though I can see, my eyes is stony red like hot fire. I have been told that my ears and eyes can't be treated here at FMC but I have to go for X-ray to know the damage done to my ear and the left side of my brain.
This is me, Agbodemu Ishola Musbau, the human rights activist. This is what I have been doing since 1993, fight for the defenseless and the less privileged. Successes have also been recorded over time, the going has been tough but my Passion keeps me going.
Despite all these, my joy is that my community members have been released after being detained forcefully and falsely.
If I survive this, which I'm sure I will, with all parts of my body functioning, I will stand for the right of the common man. I won't give up on this task of ensuring that the rights of a poor man is not trampled on by those who believe they are above every other person.
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