LAGOS COURT EXONERATES WOMAN ACCUSED OF ASSAULTING POLICE OFFICER
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Olufumilayo Eriolowa, 33, who was accused of attacking Olufowobi Nureni, a police officer, in the Ogombo neighborhood of Lagos State and imprisoned at the Kirikiri Correctional Center, has been cleared of all charges.
After the case was dismissed, Magistrate M. O. Alao of the Magistrates’ Court in Eti-Osa, Lagos, released Eriolowa, who had been held since May 17, 2023.
According to earlier reports, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the state police public relations officer, disclosed that he was remanded for allegedly attacking a police officer in the state in a post on Twitter.
She assaulted a police officer yesterday somewhere in Ogombo, according to the post. She was arraigned today, and until June 6, when the matter returns to court, she has been detained at the Kirikiri Correctional Facility.
The hairdresser had previously appeared before Magistrate M. O. Alao at the Magistrate Court of Lagos, Eti-Osa, on two counts that bordered on assault and resisting arrest.
During her arraignment, the police prosecutor, Jacob Samuel, asked the court to detain the defendant in police custody.
Alao granted the plea and mandated that Eriolowa be held in police custody for a further 21 days while the inquiry was being conducted.
The charges read in part, “That you, Olufumilayo Erioluwa, on May 14, 2023, around 9pm, at Ajah, Eti-Osa, in the Lagos Magistrate District, did commit a felony with a serious assault on one Olufowobi Nureni, an Inspector and hereby commit an offence under Section 174 Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
“That you, Olufumilayo Erioluwa, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned Magisterial District, assaulted, resisted, obstructed and unlawfully prevented one Olufowobi Nureni, an Inspector attach to the Ogombo Divisional Headquarters, in the course of executing his lawful and official duty and thereby committed an offence punishable Under Section 174 (b) (c) and (e) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.”
However, Eriolowa entered a not guilty plea to the charges, and the case was postponed until June 6, 2023.
Eriolowa’s case was taken over in the interim by a rights activist named Inibehe Effiong and his group.
According to Effiong, the police were unable to present a witness, the complainant, and Eriolowa in court. He also claimed that the Kirikiri Correctional Center was unable to do so.
He said, “On June 6 when the case came up a second time, my team and I were able to secure bail for her. She was admitted to bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.”
Effiong explained that they were working on perfecting her bail terms when the case was struck out.
He said, “The complainant, Olufowobi Nureni, who claimed he was assaulted, did not show up in court for all the times the case was in court. The Kirikiri Correctional Centre did not also produce her in court, and the case was adjourned a third time till June 27, 2023.
“We had however taken steps to perfect the bail before the charge was struck out. The police could not provide any evidence, witness, or complainant in court and so we pleaded that the case be struck out and the Magistrate saw reason with us and did the right thing according to the law. She is freed and discharged and the charges against her have been struck out on June 27, 2023.”
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