Lady Beaten By Drunken Policeman Tells Her Story...

Funmilayo assaulted by corporal Mohammed.

*This incident was reported last year but the police did nothing,they only reacted because the video of the assault leaked online...shame!

Abiodun Adebayo, brother of 22-year-old Funmilayo Adebayo, who was videoed being brutalised by a drunken riot policeman at Lewis street, Obalende, Lagos, has said the family made a report last year over the incident.

The video which surfaced online about a week ago, depicted the policeman, identified as Nasir Mohammed, beating and dragging Funmi through muddy water because of a disagreement over fish. The incident was said to have occurred on December 18, 2013.

Abiodun said, “Funmi had to leave the hospital the following day to make a report at the Lion Building Police Area Command because we heard that Mohammed told his superiors that a woman had attempted to disarm him.

“Based on Mohammed’s report, the fish seller, her son and baby were detained at the Lion Building. A message was sent to my mother that if Funmi did not show up to make her report, the fish seller would not be released.”

At the time, Funmi was said to be undergoing treatment at the Navy Hospital, Onikan, after she had been brutalised by Mohammed.

Recalling the incident, Funmi said that she did nothing to Mohammed to warrant the attack.

She said, “I had gone to buy fish from Iya Yemi when Mohammed came. He wanted Iya Yemi to sell more fish to him so he could continue taking it with his beer. She refused him.

“While they were at it, I pleaded with Iya Yemi to attend to me; I wanted to buy food and return home. To my surprise, Mohammed threw the food that Iya Yemi was about to give me into my face. He quickly followed it up with a blow and then dragged me into the muddy water on the street.

“While he was assaulting me in the water, I had no idea that I was holding on to his gun. I was just scared and stunned. In fact, after I received a blow to my face and several more to my chest, I was no longer aware of what was happening round me.”

Abiodun, who was on his way back from visiting a friend, reportedly rushed down to the venue of incident when he was informed. He was said to have intervened, pleading with Mohammed to let his sister go. However, in the video, several persons from the crowd could be heard telling him not to intervene.

He added, “The crowd wanted to see the end of the matter; they wanted to know if Mohammed would kill Funmi. They were prepared to kill him too on the spot if my sister died. That was why they were telling me not to intervene. Eventually some of them came to drag me away from Mohammed.”

Punch gathered that while Mohammed assaulted Funmi, a colleague of his who was also at the scene,encouraged Mohammed to continue and dared anyone else from the crowd to intervene.

He was said to have fired the first shot into the air before Mohammed allegedly fired some rounds.

Funmi’s mother, Mrs. Bose Adebayo, who works as a photographer was reportedly not at home when the incident happened. She was said to have made a compact disc and cassette of the phone recording of the incident.

She said, “I wanted justice, but anyone who I showed pictures and the video of the incident kept warning me to be careful. How it managed to surface online, I don’t know because it happened since last year. It wasn’t until two weeks ago that I was directed to Dr. Joe Odunmakin’s church; I was assured that she would help me.”

President of Women Arise, Odumakin,  who has taken up the matter on behalf of the victims, condemned the incident.

She said, “We know that Mohammed has been arrested, but we want his colleague, who was also at the scene, arrested. This family should be compensated for the brutality that they have suffered from Mohammed. And we will like to know why the police took no action since this incident was reported last year. There is a need for the police to conduct psychiatric tests on all those who carry weapons in the force.”

As of the time of this report, Funmi and her family were said to be headed to the office of the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ngozi Braide, to make their statements.