Posted by Samuel on Wed 25th Sep, 2024 - tori.ng
The attack came after officials of the Lagos State Task Force raided motorcycle parks in the area and seized some of the motorcycles.
Gbolahan Fagbenja, a 37-year-old Uber driver, has lamented the response of the police to the brutal attack on him by a mob of motorcycle riders in the Abesan area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro reports that the victim was attacked on Saturday, August 17, after being mistaken for a police informant.
The attack came after officials of the Lagos State Task Force raided motorcycle parks in the area and seized some of the motorcycles.
Fagbenja explained that he was coming from his brother’s residence when the angry motorcycle riders accused him of being a police informant and pounced on him.
He added that dangerous weapons were also used to attack him before some Good Samaritans intervened and rescued him from them.
Speaking to our correspondent on Monday, Fagbenja said efforts to engage the police in getting justice had proved abortive.
He specifically noted that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Ipaja Police Division, Alagolo, turned him down during a visit to his office to complain.
He said, “After the incident, while I was still at the hospital, I managed to go to the nearest police station, which is Alagolo Police Station which was very close to the hospital. When I got there, I narrated what transpired to the policemen and they took me to their DPO. When we got to his office, and the officers narrated what had happened to me, he suddenly flared up and started shouting at the officers, saying that they should never bring any case of police and motorcycles to his office again.”
The victim said he was thereafter sent out of the DPO’s office without any further action taken on his matter.
“I was sent out of the office and that was how I was left all alone, stranded on the premises of the station. As I speak to, I have been unable to get justice,” he disclosed.
Fagbenja who narrated the incident from his hospital bed on September 3, said, “I visited the Abesan Estate with a friend to check out a car I was interested in using for an Uber business. After inspecting the vehicle, I stopped by my brother’s place in the area and spent some time with him until evening. Around 7 pm, I decided to leave and head home. As I approached the gate, I noticed a commotion and saw task force officials loading motorcycles into their van. I walked past them to buy some items from a nearby trader.
“Just as I finished my purchase and walked a short distance away, a young man approached me, pointed at me, and accused me of being one of ‘them.’ Initially, I ignored him, but he asked if I wasn’t with the police. He then claimed I was the one who had dragged him when the police were around earlier. Before I could respond, his friends surrounded me and attacked me.”
Fagbenja said efforts to prove his innocence proved abortive as they continued to attack him on the spot.
He claimed to have struggled by running into a building to seek cover, but the aggrieved riders caught up with him and continued to beat him.
“They attacked me with iron rods, sticks, bottles, stones, and other dangerous weapons, hitting me all over my body. I could barely see as my eyes were also affected. Just as I thought all was lost, I recognised a woman passing by and called out to her for help. She saw my condition and quickly rushed to alert other neighbours, who came to my rescue and saved me from my attackers. Afterwards, I was taken to the nearest police station to report the incident.”