The police in Lagos State on Monday arrested and detained the lawmaker, representing, Iseyin, Itesuwaju Kajola and Iwajowa Federal Constituency in Oyo State, Hon Shina Peller, for allegedly attacking a police station with thugs.
The spokesperson of the lawmaker, Kola Poooola, however, said that the lawmaker had only gone to facilitate the release of some of the vehicles, which were impounded at his popular night club, Quilox, when he was arrested.
The image maker-in-charge of the state police command, Bala Elkana confirmed the arrest of the lawmaker and added that he had attacked Maroko police station with more than fifty things to forcefully release vehicles that were impounded for obstructing traffic.
Popular in a statement on Monday said: “The Nigeria Police Force has unjustly held hostage a member of the House of Representatives representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency, Hon. Shina Peller at Moroko Police station, Lagos State.”
He also added that: “Hon. Shina Peller was at Moroko police station to bail some of Club Quilox’s customers who had allegedly parked on the road during a show at the Club.”
He also claimed that: “Prior to the kickoff of the 36 hours non-stop show which usually holds every year at Quilox, Hon. Peller had informed the concerned Lagos traffic authorities to avoid unnecessary traffic gridlock.
“On getting to Moroko police station, the police started harassing Hon. Peller and even went as far as seizing all his phones for no reason,” Popoola claimed.
Meanwhile, Elkana in a statement said: “On 22/12/2019 at about 9 am, Police officers on traffic control along Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, sent a traffic report to Maroko Police Station that the entire road leading to the toll gate is blocked as a result of indiscriminate parking on the major road by customers of Quilox Club, 183 Ozumba Mbadi Way, Victoria Island, Lagos.”
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He continued that: “The Club owner, Hon Shina Peller, a House of Representatives Member, representing Iseyin Federal Constituency, Oyo State was approached by the DPO Maroko on the need to ensure that customers to his club do not block the major road to mitigate the undue hardship the obstruction is causing to other road users.
“Police eventually cleared the traffic and the honourable member promised to keep the road free of traffic,”the Lagos police spokesperson also said.
He also continued that “on 23rd December 2019 at about 8.30 am, traffic was observed to have build up on the road again. Police traced the cause to the Club again.
“The club activities mostly last up to 9 am from the night and affecting the free flow of traffic in the area. The situation was so bad that commuters have to resort to trekking.”
Elkana also said “Police team from Maroko Division led by the Divisional Police Officer, mobilised to the street and after much efforts, got the traffic flowing again.”
He confirmed that: “Three vehicles parked on the major highway by some customers of the club, which actually caused the obstruction, were removed to the station.
“The Club owner mobilised over 50 thugs around 11 am and invaded the Police Station to forcibly move the vehicles away.
“The Police Officers on duty at the station sent a distress message to the headquarters calling for reinforcement. Police teams from neighbouring Divisions and Area J Command, led by the Area Commander were deployed to reinforce the Station.”
The police also claimed that, “the Honourable Member and five thugs were arrested while others scaled through the fence and escaped.”
The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba for in-depth investigation.
The police in the state assured that “suspects will be charged to court.”
Owners of clubhouses in Lagos State are warned to provide parking spaces for their customers within their premises to stop indiscriminate parking on the road.
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