Emmanuel Oleka, a commercial bus driver in Lagos State has been arrested for allegedly leading
a gang that assaulted a debtor, Victor Kelechi, who he had earlier reported to the police.
PUNCH reports that Oleka and four other suspects, identified as Victor Clement, Daniel Okoi, Chioma Oweize and Wale Idowu, followed Kelechi to Oregie Road in Ajegunle area at about 7:00pm on Tuesday, June 30, 2015. They laid ambush for him and allegedly smashed his car windscreen.
In Kelechi’s attempt to flee his assailants, one of the suspects allegedly injured him on his hand with a cutlass. The gang were also accused of stealing N55,000 and a phone from the victim. The suspects however, denied attacking or assaulting Kelechi claiming that a mob who had heard shouts of ‘thief thief’ had inflicted the injury on him.
An eyewitness had reportedly saved Kelechi’s life when he alerted police officers at the Ajeromi station.
According to the eyewitness identified simply as Paul, said, “I was driving along the road on the fateful day when I saw a crowd attacking the man (Kelechi). When I saw that the situation was going out of hand, I called the police.”
The money Kelechi owed Oleka was reported to have been borrowed in 2008 when Oleka was a petroleum products dealer. Kelechi had however promised to pay back the money, N260,000, some days later. He however did not pay back as promised and began to avoid his creditor. Oleka on his part reported Kelechi to the police in 2014 when he ran into him at Festac which led to Kelechi’s arrest.
Kelechi later paid the sum of N207,000 as installment after writing an undertaking at the police station which left N53,000 yet to be paid.
Oleka and the other suspects arraigned before a Magistrates Court sitting in Apapa on a four count charge bordering on assault and stealing.
The charges read in part, “That you, Emmanuel Oleka, Victor Clement, Daniel Okoi, Chioma Oweize, Wale Idowu and others now at large, on June 30, 2015, at about 6.40pm at Dusbin bus stop, Oregie, Ajegunle, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire to commit felony to wit; unlawful damaged of Menz C230 saloon car marked, FST 646 DM.
“That you and others at large, on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid magisterial district, did steal the sum of N55,000; a wallet containing a voter card, ATM cards, a driving licence and one Samsung Galaxy S5 valued at N75,000, property of one Victor Kelechi.”
“That you and others now at large did assault Victor Kelechi by using a cutlass to his right hand which caused him bodily harm.”
The offences to which the accused pleaded not guilty are punishable under sections 171, 283, 337 and 409 oof the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011.
Bail was set at the sum of N50,000 each with a surety each in like sum by the presiding magistrate, Mr. P. A. Adekomaya.
The case was adjourned till July 29, 2015.
