Kunle Adelabu
-Only Police can determine charges against suspect – Lagos PPRO
The family of Babatunde Tanimowo, a fashion designer and a native of Imota in Ikorodu Division, popularly called ‘Sunshine’, who was recently arrested and still in detention at the State Command for cult related crimes, has cried out to the Lagos State Police Command that the suspect is not a criminal.
According to the suspect’s brothers, he was arrested last Thursday night at the Ikorodu garage roundabout for failing to use facemask.
The duo, who told THE IMPACT that the suspect left them at their shop around 7.00pm on the fateful night and called them while he was being detained inside the special task force Black Maria, to inform them about his arrest, added that the policemen that arrested their brother told them that he was arrested for not using facemask and that all entreaties to get his bail were refused before he was taken away.
Unfortunately, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Muyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement on Friday, February 5, 2021, that Babatunde, 41year-old man, was arrested in a raid on Thursday night alongside other four male suspects- Gbolahan Oladimeji, 25; Kabiru Atanda, 30; Ibrahim Abubakar, 29, and Wasiu Rafiu, 19, for traffic robbery and cultism.
He added that the raid was in furtherance of the pledge by the Lagos Police Commissioner, CP Hakeem Odumosu, at the 2021 Ikorodu Security Meeting with traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Ikorodu Division, held at the Ikorodu Town Hall, on Wednesday, January 27, 2021, and that the exercisewas meant to sanitise the division of criminal activities.
“The CP’s special squad hit the town on Thursday, February 4, 2021, around 6pm on sting operations. The special squad, that was commanded by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Operations, comprised RRS operatives, Taskforce, State Intelligence Bureau (SIB), Special Anti – Crime team, Police Mobile Force, Motor and Traffic Division and other security operatives.
“The operations were carried out simultaneously to remove the shanties, blockages and open markets on the roads in Ikorodu Division, particularly at Agric Area and some other parts of the town, that had been an eyesore and criminal hideouts, with a view of making the town free of gridlock and crimes.
“The squad succeeded in clearing the blockages on the road, illegal parks and shops and also arrested five suspected traffic robbers and cultists in the process. The suspects included Tanimowo Babatunde, 41; Gbolahan Oladimeji, 25; Kabiru Atanda, 30; Ibrahim Abubakar, 29, and Wasiu Rafiu, 19.
“The CP has vowed to consistently carry out sting operations in Ikorodu Division and other parts of the state in order to have adequate protection of lives and property in Lagos State. The Commissioner of Police, therefore, appealed to the traditional rulers, Baales, Iyalojas and unions in the town to support the police in its efforts to sanitise the town and initiate a better security network for them.”
Babatunde’s Family’s Side of the Story:
Mr Hamisu Temitope, a fashion designer whose shop is at 3, Munirat Aleje Street, behind the BRT Terminal in Ikorodu and a brother to the suspect, said that he has been working with Babatunde as fashion designers for about 20 years.
He said that their daily routine alongside another brother, is to resume at their shop in the morning and go back home in the night after closing from the shop.
“I am the elder brother of Babatunde and he is also my business partner. We have been together in this same shop for more than 20 years. I do sew clothes while he handles the design aspect”, he told THE IMPACT.
“He is a good man and doesn’t engage in any untoward act. We are three brothers and we work and relate together; myself, Babatunde and this (pointing to Mayowa who is a younger brother to Babatunde).
“We usually resume at the office daily and go to our various homes anytime that we close at the end of each day. We don’t have friends in Ikorodu, except our customers.
”He (Babatunde) does not belong to any cult group or have any criminal record”, Hamisu added.
Narrating how his brother wrongly became a robbery and cultism suspect, Hamisu said that he (Babatunde) had hurriedly left the shop on the fateful day to deliver clothes to one of his customers at Ojubode when he was arrested at the Ikorodu garage roundabout on his way back to the shop.
“We were here together on Thursday night when one of his customers called him to bring his clothes.
He immediately rushed to Ojubode to give the customer his clothes so that he could get some money but he forgot to go with his facemask which we usually hang somewhere in our shop”, he recalled.
“It was on his way back to the shop that he was arrested at the Ikorodu garage roundabout for not using facemask.
“Myself and Mayowa immediately rushed to the scene after he called us on phone that he has been arrested because he did not use facemask and we pleaded with those that arrested him but they refused to release him”, he told our reporter.
“At a point, he said that he wanted water but we were prevented from giving him the water as we were alleged of trying to poison him. They later took him away inside the Black Maria.
Hamisu stated that the following day, they spent hours searching for the station where Babatunde was being detained without success until he called to inform them that he was being detained at the State Command.
“The following day, we went to the Shagamu Road Police Division to look for him but the police officers on ground told us that he was not with them and that they did not have any idea where he was being detained.
“We went to Alausa but we could not trace him and later, we went to the Police Command but we were prevented from gaining entry and were later told that the suspects were not brought there.
“We later went to the Task force office at Arena but we were also told that they had not been detained there and also went to the LASTMA office but all to no avail”, he further said while narrating their experiences while searching for their brother.
“It was while we were deliberating whether we should go to SCIB Panti, while we were at Oshodi, that his (Babatunde) call came in and he told us that he was at the State Command and when we went back there, the police officers that attended to us insisted that our brother was not there but we later called his Investigation Police Officer (IPO, Mr Jude) on phone and he asked us to come in around 2pm”, he said.
The brother to the embattled suspect also told THE IMPACT about their encounter with the Investigation Police Officer who is handling his brother’s case and other officers at the State Command.
He alleged that after the IPO had left them, some police officers demanded N200, 000 for Babatunde’s release and that they offered them the #30,000 since they could not afford such huge sum but that the officers rejected the money.
“When we gained entry, the IPO brought him out for us and at that moment, we were relieved that we had seen him and he told us that he was arrested for not using facemask. We asked for the next thing to do but we were told to wait.
“After a while, we were called by the IPO and we asked him what Babatunde’s offense was and he also told us that he failed to use a facemask.
“At a point, policemen at the Command were making jest of him that his first attempt in police custody is at the State Command and they were also saying that he is too soft while we pitied his condition.
“There was a female police officer who even joked that we tailors don’t have money and usually have ulcers and we thought that with all the jokes, he will be released”, he recalled.
“After Officer Jude (the IPO) and others left for Ikorodu for another operation, we asked the officer that the case was handed over to for what they were expecting from us to secure our brother’s release and we were told to bring N200, 000 but we said that we cannot afford that amount”, Hamisu alleged.
“At that point, we had about N19, 000 with us and we later made calls and we were sent N20, 000 and gave them N30, 000 for his release but they said that the money was too small but while they were about to release him, an officer came and said that he cannot be released. This was around 7.30pm and we were told to give him some money for his feeding and that we should go.
He said that they got to know later that night that his brother’s name has been published as a robber and cult suspect alongside others.
“It was later in the midnight that day (Friday) that one of my workers (pointing to a lady) called that my brother was among those paraded as armed robbers arrested in Ikorodu”, distraught Hamisu said.
“I later confirmed the news when I read the ‘Ikorodu latest new’ on the internet and I immediately informed our family members.
Hamisu, who described the online publication as a defamation of character, said that several people that read or heard about the news have been calling him since then.
“About 20 people have also called me that they saw my brother who is working with me being paraded as an armed robber.
“I have also been called by other people that they heard on radio that my brother is an robber.
He appealed to the government for the release of his brother and correction of the damage done to the name of the suspect and that of the family.
“We want the government to look into the matter and release our brother. This is an act of image tarnishing because several people have been calling, including those that we went to school with and people in Imota regarding allegation levelled against my brother”, he pleaded.
Also speaking with THE IMPACT at their shop on Sunday (yesterday), Omotayo Tanimowo, who is also a fashion designer and a younger brother to Babatunde, also narrated their experiences at the Lagos Police Command in Ikeja while they were trying to secure Babatunde’s release.
“At the State Command, we were told that they (Police) intended to release two of the suspects arrested in Ikorodu and that Babatunde was one of them and one other guy that was capturing the operation of the taskforce in camera, he said.
He also confirmed that the policemen at the Command demanded for N200, 000 for the release of Babatunde but that they offered them #30,000 which he said was rejected.
He added that the IPO was shocked to still meet them at the Command when he returned from another operation in Ikorodu and queried why they had not gone since.
“When the IPO, who had gone out on another operation, arrived, he was shocked that we were still there and our brother was yet to be released and after explaining the situation to him, he assured us that he would talk to his colleagues on our behalf.
“In actual fact, Jude (the IPO) reasoned with us and was ready to release him (Babatunde), but suddenly, another officer emerged and queried what we had been doing since. Jude engaged him and he too said that our brother should be released”, Omotayo said.
He said that while he, their eldest brother, (Hamisu) and the father of the boy that was using camera to record the police operation, went upstairs with the IPO, another officer emerged around 7pm wearing a shirt with ‘antelope’ written behind it and said that they should leave because their because their brother would not be released.
“While we were waiting for Jude to come out from his superior’s office to perfect Babatunde’s bail, another officer who wore a shirt with antelope written behind it, approached us to leave, stating that he would not release Babatunde because he still wanted to write his report.
“He told us to give him (Babatunde) feeding money and that we should come back on Monday (today).
We later approached Jude but he appeared to be helpless and again, he asked us to follow him upstairs to his boss where he discussed with the officer wearing a t-shirt with the ‘antelope’ inscription.
“Both of them later addressed us inside an office and showed us the list of charges for about 15 names and told us that the CP (Commissioner of Police) will work on them by Monday and that we would be contacted. They also told us that the money (#30,000) we were holding would not be enough to get our brother released.
He said that they were, however, surprised to see his name alongside others published in news stories as armed robbers
He said that the family want the government to assist in correcting the armed robbery allegation levelled by the police against his brother.
“We want the government to help us to correct the allegation that he is an armed robber because that is a dent on his name. We want his picture removed and a rejoinder issued to declare that he (Babatunde) is not an armed robber.
“He is an easy-going person. You can see all the people’s comments (on social media) about him. He is not an armed robber or hooligan. We want them to correct the negative image given to his name. We are asking for this because of the implication the allegation might have on his name in future”, he said.
Police Maintained Stand On Babatunde’s Allegations:
When contacted, Mr Muyiwa Adejobi, the PPRO, Lagos Command, said that it is not the family that would determine what a suspect will be charged with but the Police authority that made the arrest.
He also stated that it was the family that reminded the police that Babatunde wasn’t wearing facemask at the point where he was arrested for an alleged robbery offence and said that he could still be charged for that as well.
He added that the suspect (Babatunde) and others were taken to the State Command because they were arrested for criminal offences.
“It is not the family that will tell us what to charge a suspect with. What do you expect the family to tell you? Does that mean that a tailor cannot commit crime”, he asked.
“The operation was led by an Assistant Commissioner for Police and we usually take suspects arrested for facemask and other minor offences to Oshodi while those with serious and criminal cases are taken to the State Command.
“It is even the family that even reminded us that he was not wearing facemask at the time of the arrest and it cost us nothing to add that to his charges”, PPRO said.
The Lagos PPRO also advised the family of the suspect to present the case and evidence to absolve him when the matter is charged to the court.
Meanwhile, a cross section of residents have reacted to the arrest and robbery allegation levelled against Babatunde by the police.
Many of residents that reacted on The Ikorodu Ambassadors Group’s platform on Facebook on Saturday, February 6, 2021, said that the suspect is very well known to them and also confirmed that he is a fashion designer.
Some of the comments and reactions are produced below:
Quddus Gbagba, President of the Organisation of Party Entertainers of Nigeria (OPEN) and a social media commentator, said that he can attest to the suspect’s character.
“I know this man so well. He is popularly called Sunshine. He’s a confirmed fashion designer of good character. This news is 100% fake. I can attest to his innocence”.
Ajax Wemimo Ajanaku, in her own reaction, said:
“The Nigerian police should be sued for defamation of character if true. This is total rubbish to have tagged someone who isn’t armed (robber) as one. Where is the investigation verification desk in the police force?”, she asked.
Another commentator, Islamiat Adenike Akintoye, said:
“I heard his name in the news among the armed robbers (that are) operating in Ikorodu now. Please, people should do something fast”, she said while appealing for public intervention.
Prince Adetunji Oluwasegun Abiodun, who said that the suspect is his friend, described him as very gentle and nice.
“He is my friend, very gentle and nice, God will fight for you, Sunshine.
Ejimkonye Elizabeth, in her own reaction, said:
“Haaaa..police….this guy is a fashion designer now..”.
Bayo Akinyosoye Akinayo, also commenting, said:
“This very guy has worked in Nichemtex Ltd in Ikorodu years back with a very good record. When he left the company, I did see him around the back of the BRT station in Ikorodu doing Tailoring. May God help him out”.
Another resident, Kehinde Adekola, also said:
“I know he’s a tailor. His shop is very close to our shop”.
