The family of Ewade Ruling House of Igbooye, Eredo-Epe in Lagos State has petitioned the Police Commissioner Abiodun Alabi to prevent the police in Eredo from sweeping the attempted murder of their son, Sunday Keshinro, under the carpet.
In a petition signed by seven members, they prayed the police chief to request the case file or direct that the matter be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba.
The family accused the Area ‘J’ Command of neglecting the case by not charging the suspects after conclusion of investigations.
The petition was signed by Head of the Ewade Ruling House Otunba A. I. Musa-Adebamowo, among others.
Musa-Adebamowo, assistant director at the Ministry of Justice, said last Tuesday, about 7pm, he received a call from members of Igbooye community that Keshinro was hit on the head with a club and stabbed by two brothers because he (Keshinro) allegedly removed notices announcing the removal of Otunba Musa-Adebamowo as head of Ewade ruling house.
According to him, the Area ‘J’ commander, on learning of the matter, said he had directed the DPO at Noforija Police Station to bring all parties to his office.
The lawyer said parties were directed to write their statements at the Area Commander’s Office.
Musa-Adebamowo noted that instead of the police to find out the root of the problem and charge the culprits to court, the area commander, “on his own suddenly brought up the issue of beating up the police officers on the scene of the crime, and asked Kayode Adebowale (the person that allegedly stabbed the victim) to tell them who beat up the officers.
“Adebowale alleged that he (Musa-Adebamowo) called some people to beat up the officers, and the attempt by me to ask the question as to who was called was rebuffed by the area commander’’.
Continuing, Musa-Adebamowo said the area commander directed that he ‘’should be locked up in the cell with Prince Seyi Keshinro, elder brother of the victim on the allegation that Seyi witnessed the beating of the police officers,” he said.
Accusing the police of a cover up, Musa-Adebamowo said “the area commander directed the DPO of Noforija Police Station to invite the officers alleged to have been beaten up’’, and it was found out the officers were not even on the scene of the crime.
“It could not be imagined that officers were beaten up on Tuesday evening in Igbooye, and no attempt was made to arrest them till Wednesday afternoon during oral accounts by parties when the issue was suddenly raised by the area commander and the police allegedly beaten up were suddenly invited to give oral account. This is clearly an attempt to cover up the attempted murder of Sunday Keshinro.”
He noted that till now, the suspects and their co-suspects were nowhere to be found.
Musa-Adebamowo said the youth and elders of the Igbooye community had become concerned about how the case was being handled by the police.