A lawyer from Lagos, Olumide Sonupe, was unfortunately hospitalised after spending two days in a police cell with the client he was trying to secure bail for. This was a distressing situation for him.
The sequence of events occurred at Moshalashi Police Station in the Alimosho area of the state on Saturday, December 30, 2023.
The attorney, who is 36 years old, went to secure the release of his client, a
carpenter, who was being held for an alleged breach of contract.
According to reports, the client encountered some difficulties with a customer regarding custom-made chairs. The customer expressed dissatisfaction with the chairs, stating that they did not align with the provided designs, resulting in a police report being filed and subsequently leading to the carpenter being detained.Recalling the incident, Sonupe explained that they had mentioned detaining his client.
I had the opportunity to meet with Supol Grace, the Investigating Police Officer, and politely explained that the issue at hand is solely a civil matter and does not involve any criminal activity. I kindly suggested that we attempt to resolve the matter in a peaceful manner. In spite of attempts to reach a resolution, the authorities remained firm in their decision to detain the carpenter, requesting a bail amount of ?30,000.
During his time in custody, Sonupe encountered additional complications. He mentioned that he requested to see the carpenter in his cell. During the conversation, the IPO mentioned her intention to introduce a POS system for the payment of the ?30,000. Unfortunately, a misunderstanding occurred when another female officer raised concerns about Sonupe being alone with a detained suspect without proper supervision.
Sonupe's brother was made aware of the situation, and upon his arrival with their aunt to request the lawyer's release, the police claimed that Sonupe had allegedly tried to disarm an officer. Sonupe clarified the situation, stating that they were asked about the reason behind their actions towards the DPO while writing the statement. I was taken aback and mentioned that it was the DPO who had expressed a desire to slap me.
Despite Sonupe's best efforts to address the matter, he found himself incarcerated once more, with the authorities requesting a guarantor for his release.
However, despite the willingness of his brother and aunt to volunteer, the DPO declined their offer and insisted on a male civil servant. Sonupe's aunt, who identified herself as a civil servant, experienced a setback, resulting in a lengthy wait until a suitable person arrived at around 10:00 pm.
It was quite unexpected when Sonupe's client, who had just been released on bail, was re-arrested before leaving the station and ended up being confined to the same cell as the lawyer.
Sonupe's hospitalisation brought attention to the difficulties people may encounter when pursuing justice through the legal system.
Source: Pulse.com.gh
0 Comments