The popular cliché of the Nigeria Police Force; ‘Police is your friend,’ does not seem to affect Taiwo Alabi, a 25 year-old commercial bus driver, whose newly acquired 24-seater bus was allegedly set ablaze by policemen in Lagos State.
Alabi said the bus with the number plate, LAGOS XX 255 EKV was burnt because he refused to give bribe to policemen attached to the Alapere Police Divisional Headquarters in the state. Now, Alabi is jobless with no hope of getting justice, while his creditors are on his neck to pay up because he bought the vehicle on hire purchase.
Narrating his ordeal in tears, Alabi told PUNCH METRO that on May, 25, 2011; the vehicle developed a fault on the Third Mainland Bridge and he had to tow it to his mechanic workshop. He said it was while he was on the way to his destination that he met the policemen, who ruined his life.
He said, “I was on my way to Ketu with passengers when the bus developed fault. After getting all the passengers into another bus, a good Samaritan driving a truck, who saw me pushing the bus parked on the side of the road and offered to help me to tow my bus since he was going my way.
“Due to heavy traffic on the expressway, we passed through Alapere estate which was an alternative route. As soon as we were a few metres away from the Alapere police station, a man in mufti flagged us down.
“He said he was a policeman attached to the station and demanded for our vehicle document. I gave it to him and afterwards, he demanded that we present a permit for towing the vehicle.”
Alabi said that the Good Samaritan took exception to the policeman’s latest request and accused the policeman of being mischievous.
“The policeman in response, threatened to lock us up for arguing with him. After much argument, he said that I should pay N10, 000 or he would not release the bus. In anger, the man disconnected the chains he used in towing my vehicle and drove off, leaving my conductor and me at the mercy of the cop,” he said.
Alabi said that the policeman later got angry and started beating him up.
“He then beckoned on one other policeman around the scene. They pounced on us and subsequently seized my phone as well as N15, 000 which I had in my pocket.
“While they were beating me, one woman who sells bread near the station started shouting, ‘Corporal Kola, do you want to kill him’ that was how I knew his name.”
Alabi told PUNCH METRO that during his ordeal, he saw another policeman who was in uniform and beckoned to him for help. He added that the policeman took sides with his colleagues.
He said, “The newcomer even kicked me in the stomach and said if I did not co-operate with them, he would personally lock me up.
“The policeman got into the bus and asked the other two policemen to push my bus into the police station so that I would come back the following day to pay extra money. While they were pushing the bus, I think the stub of the cigarette which he was smoking, accidentally fell on the fuel pump and the bus caught fire.”
Alabi added that immediately the bus caught fire, the three policemen ran into the station, leaving the bus to burn beyond repair.
“The next day, May 26, I went to Alapere to report the incident to the Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Odion Okosun, a Superintendent of Police. After narrating my ordeal, Okosun met with his men and was able to establish that I was telling the truth. He told me to come back later so we could discuss further and I agreed.
“Unfortunately, after that day, it was impossible for me to see him as I was always told by the policemen in the station that the DPO was not around.”
Alabi said 10 days after the meeting, he finally got to see the DPO and when he presented the case again, the DPO threatened to lock him up if he ever set foot in the Police station again.
“I bought that bus on hire purchase. I only acquired the bus three weeks before the incident. I have paid only N200, 000 and I still have about N1.3m to balance.
“In fact, the N15, 000 which was stolen from me by policemen was part of the money I had planned on depositing in the account of my creditor because the agreement was that I pay the seller back in instalments. I don’t have any other job and I have an aged mother who I’m taking care of,” Alabi told PUNCH METRO.
Reacting to the allegations, Okosun said Alabi’s vehicle was not burnt by the policemen. He said it got burnt due to overheating.
Okosun said, “In a statement dictated by Alabi and written by policemen because of his inability to read and write, Alabi actually claimed that the vehicle got burnt while he was driving the vehicle as the vehicle was overheating. I don’t know why he would be changing his statement now and making false accusations.”
He said it was not true that he threatened to arrest Alabi.
“Why would I threaten to arrest him? The first time he came to the station, I received him well. Why then would I suddenly change my attitude towards him?” he said.
The spokesman for the state Police Command, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, however, declined comment.
However when our correspondent visited Alapere, the majority of those who spoke with him on condition of anonymity, because of perceived reprisal by the policemen, said although the policemen did not plan to burn Alabi’s bus; it caught fire while it was in their hands.
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