New Telegraph

I lost my leg to police gunshot, detention –Petitioner

A 62-year-old man, Olaoluwa Kusimo, yesterday said his right leg was amputated after he was shot by a policeman identified simply as Moshood. Narrating his ordeal to members of the Ogun State Judicial Panel of Investigation sitting at Magistrates’ Court 1, Isabo, Abeokuta, Kusimo said, on February 9, 2012, two policemen accosted him around Iporo Ake area of Abeokuta in the afternoon. He said one of them shot him after which both of them ran away. The petitioner explained that he was arrested by men of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) at the entrance of the state General Hospital where he was rushed to by neighbours for medical attention. The man alleged that he was detained for 37 days at the defunct SARS office at the Magbon area of Abeokuta where he was tortured with a hot iron. Kusimo added the SARS operatives asked him to confess to being an armed robber. He said for the 37 days he spent in detention, he was denied medical treatment, hence his health degenerated.

The petitioner explained that owing to neglect and lack of proper care for the leg, it started producing maggots and smelling which later degenerated to the level of amputation in April 2012. Kusimo disclosed that he was released to go back to the hospital for treatment when the odour emanating from the leg became unbearable for the police. The petitioner added that he sold his uncompleted house for N500,000 to pay for his hospital bills.

He said: “I was rushed to the General Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta by neighbours. After I re-ceived treatment, I was asked to go for an X-Ray the second day. “To my surprise, I got arrested at the hospital’s gate by some officers of the defunct Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS) from Magbon, Abeokuta and was put behind counter for 37 days, tortured with a hot iron and asked to confess that I was an armed robber which I refused. “At this point, we had no money again to purchase drugs and pay hospital bills.

I had to sell my uncompleted building which was ready for roofing for just N500,000 to take care of the medical bills.” The petitioner appealed to the state government for financial assistance as compensation for the money spent on his treatment and to take care of hifamily. Another petition brought before the panel was that of Mr. Gbenga Kehinde who was arrested on October 7, 2017 along with his three friends at Emuren, Ijebu-Ode and were taken to Magbon in Abeokuta where they were accused of stealing fish worth N63 million from a farm in Ijebu-Ode.

According to the petitioner, he and his friends spent almost three months in police custody with daily torture from Inspector Adam Abubakar for an offence they did not commit. The cases were adjourned till 28th January 28 and February 1, 2021 respectively for further hearing and to get the accused police officers for their responses

Read Previous

Women to get free contraceptives in Ogun

Read Next

Delta LG polls: APC gives free nomination forms as PDP rejects automatic ticket

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *