Command for allegedly detaining him illegally and torturing him.
Akinade, who is based in Mushin, Lagos State, also alleged that he had
been rendered impotent due to injuries sustained on his testicles
during the torture. He alleged that the torture was carried out with a
bicycle spoke by a policeman attached to the Special Anti-Robbery
Squad of the command.
The businessman said the illegal detention and torture was because of
a customer, Alhaji Hassan, who was aggrieved over a business
transaction with Akinade.
Akinade said, "In October 2012, Hassan walked into my office at
Mushin; he said he wanted to buy a used printing equipment, known as a
colour separation machine. I had never met him before and I don't know
how he located me. I showed him the machine and after inspecting it,
he promised to come back with his engineer for another inspection.
"We had agreed on a payment of N4.6m, minus the installation and
transportation fees, which Hassan agreed to take care of."
Four days later, the engineer, a certain Alhaji Rufai, reportedly
showed up at Akinade's shop to inspect the machine. Satisfied with the
inspection, he was said to have told Hassan to pay N3.6m; the balance
of N1m was to be paid on delivery. Metro gathered that the first
payment was made that same day and the machine was released to Rufai
who was to transport it to Kano.
Akinade said, "I was surprised when Hassan first contacted me that he
could not access the printing machine because it was demanding a
password. I sent an employee of mine to Kano to sort out the issue,
only for him to be told that some vital parts of the printing machine
were missing.
"When I was informed, I asked Hassan if it was possible that he could
make an installment of N3.6m if Rufai had not certified the machine as
good. I then advised him to ask Rufai what went wrong on the journey,"
Akinade said.
Metro gathered that Hassan refused to pay the N1m balance to Akinade
as a result of the alleged missing parts. Both men were unable to
reach a compromise until August 2013, when Hassan suddenly showed up
at Akinade's office, accompanied by two policemen from Kano State
SARS.
Akinade was said to have been forcefully taken to Kano in a chartered
vehicle, detained and tortured for one month. He was later charged to
court for fraud.
"I was detained for a month during which the police tried to get me to
pay Hassan N4.8m. When they saw that the money was not forthcoming,
they hung me upside down in one of their torture chambers and beat me
all over my joints and manhood with a bicycle spoke.
"I bled to the extent that I passed out and had to be rushed to the
General Hospital in Kano. After I was revived, the policemen took me
to court that same day.
"The investigating police officer had taken N200,000 from me to effect
my release and another N500,000 which he tagged as exhibit. After the
extortion, I was finally released and allowed to go home; this was on
September 30 2013. Since then, I have been going to Kano every two
weeks because of the court case."
A Lagos based lawyer Mr. Aigbonosimuan Giwa-Amu told Metro that his
foundation had taken up the case on Akinade's behalf.
He said, "We are filing a suit against the Kano State Police command
at the Federal High Court Lagos for the violation of Akinade's
fundamental human rights and for also damaging Akinade's manhood. We
are asking for N500m in damages."
Hassan however denied the allegations on the telephone.
He said, "No friend of mine brought the machine to Kano. It was
brought by an engineer contracted by Akinade. After I paid N3.6m to
get the machine, I further paid over N900,000 from the balance of N1m
to buy some parts missing in the machine. I gave this money to
Akinade. The machine cannot work without a password. For nine months,
I pleaded with Akinade to come and install the password, but he kept
evading and making excuses.
"I got him arrested because I did not know what else to do. Even when
he was charged to court, Akinade pleaded to settle out of court and we
agreed so, I don't know what he is talking about now."
When Metro contacted the Police Public Relations Officer of the Kano
State Police Command, ASP Musa Majiya, he said, "A letter of complaint
was written against Akinade by Hassan and the matter was referred to
SARS for investigation. Akinade was traced down to Lagos and arrested.
"After a thorough investigation, Akinade was arraigned in court for
conspiracy and theft and remanded on court order at SARS.
"On the next adjourned date, he was granted bail. Never at anytime was
he detained illegally or tortured. Presently, the case has been
transferred to the Monitoring Unit of the Inspector General of
Police."
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