Femi Badejo, the banker who was
allegedly shot by policemen in Ikota area of Lagos State on November 10,
2012 has accused the police of insensitivity and refusing to accept a
petition written by his lawyer to the state police command.
Badejo, who was shot along with his
security guard while policemen were responding to a distress call about a
robbery at his residence, said he was still incurring the costs of
medical treatment.
The Access Bank employee said his lawyer
had written a petition and sent it via courier to the Maroko Police
Division as well as the state command headquarters, Ikeja, but the
police had refused to accept it.
In the petition entitled,
“Indiscriminate, reckless and life-threatening shots by police officers
on Mr. Femi Badejo,” the banker’s lawyer, Tayo Fayemiwo, described the
refusal by the police to accept the letter as a plot to deny
responsibility.
Fayemiwo added that over three weeks
after the incident, the police had yet to issue an apology for shooting
the banker five times.
He said, “The immediate reason for this
release stems from the blatant refusal by the office of the Commissioner
of Police Lagos State as well as the Maroko Police Division to accept
the letters sent to them. The office of the Commissioner of Police has
blatantly refused to accept the service of the letters on it via courier
services.
“Also at the Maroko Police Division, the
station refused delivery of our letter claiming not to have been
involved in the matter and that the Ajah Division was solely responsible
for the incident. This is however contrary to the information we have
that both Ajah and Maroko divisions were at the scene of the crime. We
sincerely hope the letter sent to the Inspector-General of Police will
not be met by the same fate.
“We at this point want to state that the
deliberate act of refusing to collect our letter is seen as callous,
shrewd and amounts to a plot to deny responsibility. Having caused
grievous harm to our client, we least expect that the police will again
add to his condition an emotional and psychological strain by denying
the liability of their officers’ discreditable conduct, who used their
authority to inflict unlawful and unnecessary violence on the person and
psych of our client.
Badejo also demanded that the police foot the medical bill and pay compensation for the injuries and trauma sustained by Badejo.
He said although four of the bullets had
been extracted from Badejo’s body, one was still lodged in his wrist
because of medical complications.
He said even though Badejo had been
discharged from hospital, he had continued to pay as an outpatient,
having to go for treatments and dressing of his wounds every day.
However, the spokesperson for the state
police command, Ngozi Braide, said it was unlikely that the CP’s office
rejected the letter but urged Badejo to bring the letter to her office.
“The police do not reject petitions even
the ones written against them. However, the banker should bring the
letter to my office and the matter will be taken care of,” she said.
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