Adebayo Bakare, an Ogun state citizen, has demanded justice for his son Adeniyi Bakare, who was arrested alongside his daughter Aderonke Bakare, following the Anti-Naira scarcity protest which broke out in Sagamu and other parts of Ogun State.
Due to the severe scarcity of cash, a result of the Buhari administration late hour Naira redesign policy, a lot of Nigeirians became disposed of their purchasing power and so became helpless because of the failure in implementation of the policy. On Monday, February 20, 2023, during the height of the politically induced famine, several youths in Sagamu local government area broke and lit banks on fire, in protest of the hardship caused by cash and fuel scarcity.
During the protests, Keystone Bank, Union Bank, and First Bank were attacked, and protesters set fire to various areas of the roads, including Keystone Bank and Union Bank.
To calm the tension, some police officers were dispatched to the area where some arrests were made.
Adebayo Bakare, the father of arrested Adeniyi and Aderonke Bakare, who live at 47 Ewusi Street in Mapo Sagamu, has cried out to the public, alleging that his children are innocent.
He said that they were detained while doing housework within his compound.
“I was at home on February 21 the day after protest, on that day, my daughter painted her face with black shali and I told her to go sweep the surroundings downstairs, that was when the DPO of Igbobi police station,Emeka Williams came to the junction that they had set fire on the road and nobody knows those who did that but immediately he saw my daughter Bakare Aderonke they handle her and said “this is the print in which people who broke into the banks on Monday painted their face.
“He arrested her alongside her brother Bakare Adeniyi who attacked him that he should not carry his sister since their dad isn’t home so because of that he arrested my son too.
“When I came home and heard what happened I had to beg one honourable Jamiu Adewoye who was contesting for house of assembly candidate under NNPP, he followed me to the station where we had to beg the DPO who agreed to release my daughter but said he would never release my son.
“The next morning he transferred Adeniyi to Eleweran where he used eight days in its custody before he was brought to the magistrate court at Sagamu and from there they took them to the prison yard and till now I don’t know the crime my son has committed. Even as we speak the DPO Emeka Williams have been transferred to Odogbolu local government” he continued.
The father told OgunWatch in an interview that even in the written statement, his son claimed that it was his sister who had been apprehended by the DPO, and when he challenged them he too was arrested.
Adebayo called for justice to prevail also made an appeal to well-meaning members of the community to join forces with him in getting his son back.
“I want to beg everyone who can to please help me get my son back, he’s innocent.
OgunWatch learned from the public relations officer for the state police, Abimbola Oyeyemi that the command was unaware of that adding that all those arrested had been found with evidence.
“Well I am not aware of that anyways but all the people arrested during the Sagamu riot were those who participated in the riot. We arrested about 30 of them at the scene right inside one of the banks where they were looting the properties of the banks then we arrested about five to six later who we caught and arrested with bank properties and they have all been charged to court.
“So if he’s saying something different from that let him go prove himself in court.
Meanwhile Adebayo also appealed to legal practitioners in the state to come to his aid as his son is yet to get a lawyer.
“Right now we need a lawyer that will stand for my son because they would reappear in court on Monday April 17 and I don’t have a lawyer yet, even as I speak I am penniless but later i will pay the lawyer when everything is settled.
