Police probe alleged OPC assault on lady in Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command is probing the alleged assault on a lady, Tope Segun, by suspected members of the Oodua People’s Congress.

Tope accused the OPC members of brutalising her in Olodan, the Ijora Badia area of Lagos.

She said the incident happened at the instance of her former boyfriend, identified simply as Atari, whom she claimed invited the men to “discipline” her brother, Abdulahi, whom she said earlier had a clash with Atari.

Tope, who was seen to have sustained injuries in video clips , demanded justice as she noted that she was beaten to a stupor by the men while she was trying to save her brother from them.

While speaking in an interview with our correspondent on Thursday, she said, “We’re still on the matter.”

“My former boyfriend came to our house on Olodan Street, Ijora Badia on Friday, December 29, 2023, and met my brother. My brother told him not to enter the house; he should not sit in our bed and that he should call my line since I was not around and I was the one he wanted to see.”

According to Tope, her brother did not like Atari. “He (Atari) then hit my brother on the chest and they began fighting. One of our siblings then screamed out to me that my brother and Atari were having a fight. So when I got there I started hitting him with something and he left but he went to invite members of the OPC to come and discipline my brother.

“When the OPC men came, they began hitting my brother with planks. They beat him from our place towards the OPC’s base. When I got there to seek my brother’s release, telling them our father just died, they were asking if I knew where I came to. One of them took a grinding machine belt and flogged me with it. I was slapped. I was running to the other street, and one of them followed me and kept hitting me with the belt. I insisted I must take my brother home.”

Tope said by the time she got home after the incident, she realised her body had been swelling. “I and my brother could not sleep. My brother could not walk properly.”

She added, “On New Year Eve, we reported the matter at the police station in Pako, Amukoko. The matter has reached the Area Command and the guy was released to be going and coming back to the station. They said we should come by 2 pm today (Wednesday).”

Tope said contrary to appeals by concerned persons to settle the case amicably, she did not want the case to be swept under the carpet.

A resident in the area, who shared a video showing upper parts of Tope’s body with scars suspected to have resulted from the beating, said the victim was severely beaten.

“They beat the lady too much,” the resident, Lawal Aliu, said.

Another resident who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted by the suspects, said, “This lady was beaten by one OPC member, who is known for terrorising Ijora Badia area. He was reported at the police station regarding this issue. He was detained for only a day instead of being charged to court the next lady. This lady is vulnerable.”

Contacted on Wednesday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident, said it was wrong to say the suspect was released as if the case had been discharged.

“He was released on bail as he is entitled to it, and all parties involved were asked to meet today (Wednesday) at 2pm at the Area Commander’s office,” the PPRO said in a response sent to our correspondent via text when asked about the incident.

An official of the OPC faction headed by Gani Adams, who asked not to be quoted yet, promised to investigate the matter and get back to our correspondent.