Lagos lawyer hospitalised following detention during client’s bail process

The attorney was said to have gone to Moshalashi Police Station in the Alimosho area of the state on Saturday, December 30, 2023, to secure the bail of his client, when he was detained.

It was gathered that the 36-year-old Sonupe was taken to the hospital when his health deteriorated upon his release from the police station on Monday, January 1, 2024 after spending two nights with his client in the police cell.

Sonupe reportedly went to the station to seek the bail of his client, a carpenter, who had been detained for the alleged breach of contract.

A customer was said to have paid Sonupe’s client to make some chairs. However, after making the chairs, the customer allegedly refused to take the chairs because the chairs were not the same as the designs he had sent. The customer was said to have reported the matter to the police and the carpenter’s presence was requested.

He said, “They said they were going to detain my client. I met with the Investigating Police Officer, Supol Grace, and told her that the matter was purely a civil matter and nothing criminal. I asked that we should try to settle it amicably. I spoke with the carpenter, and he said he would get ₦50,000 by the end of January and the remaining balance of about ₦162,000 as soon as he sold the chairs. Everyone involved agreed. They asked him to write an undertaking and requested ₦30,000 for bail. Despite several pleas, they refused.

“I asked that I see the carpenter in his cell. While talking to him, the IPO said she was going to bring POS for the payment of the ₦30,000. I advised the carpenter to offer them ₦5,000 but he said they might reject it and that he would give them ₦10,000.”

The lawyer further stated that another female officer who was not around when the IPO asked him to stay with his client came in and accused him of being with a detained suspect without the presence of an officer.

The lawyer added that his brother was informed. According to him, the police told his brother he was being detained because he attempted to disarm an officer.

He said, “The next morning, my brother came with my aunt and started begging for my release. My brother came to meet me and told me to do whatever they asked. They took me to the DPO’s office. I noticed that there was a video screen to watch everything going on in the station through the CCTV cameras.

“While writing the statement, they asked why I attacked the DPO. I was shocked and said it was the DPO that wanted to slap me. I also included in the statement that there were cameras around and the video recordings would prove my innocence.

“We went back to the DPO after reading the statement. He said they should lock me up again, which they did. My aunt also came and asked me to withdraw my statement. After so much talk, I followed her upstairs and met the DPO again. The DPO said I should sit down and asked me what happened the previous day. I narrated everything. The DPO asked them to bring a Maltina drink for me.”

It was gathered that the DPO instructed Olumide to bring a surety. However, when his brother and aunt volunteered, the DPO was said to have rejected them.

“He said he cannot allow a woman to be a surety and he could accept my brother but I needed to bring a civil servant. My aunt told me she is a civil servant but he refused. She called someone and when he came, the DPO said he was going somewhere so we had to wait. We waited for hours but he did not arrive until around 10:00 pm.”

Sonupe’s client, who had been released on bail was then re-arrested before he could leave the station and was locked up with the lawyer in the same cell.