A 37-year-old driver, Elijah Shokoya accused of killing an officer of the Lagos Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, Mr Olawale Akinmade, has alleged that he was assaulted by police officers who obtained his statement.
He made this allegations during his trial-within-trial before an Ikeja High Court to determine whether his police statement was obtained under duress.
Shokoya is facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Led in evidence by his counsel, Mrs Abiodun Kolawole, while testifying in Yoruba Language and interpreted in English, he noted that he gave his police statement in the morning of January 27 a day after he was apprehended by authorities.
“I did not understand what she was writing. The other police officer used a stick to hit me on the hand and while the IPO was writing, she was beating me.
“When she finished writing, she asked me to sign what she wrote and I told her I did not understand what she wrote and I refused to sign it.
“She hit me and the other police officer beat me with a stick and I asked them to give me a mobile phone so that I can speak to a lawyer and my people.
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” I wanted to speak to a lawyer so that my lawyer can interprete what was written down so that I can sign it.
“She slapped me again and the other male police officer with her was hitting me with a stick. When I realized the beating was too much, I took the biro from her and signed the statement.”
Under cross-examination by the Lagos State Director of the Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP, Mrs Olayinka Adeyemi, He noted that he still feel pain on his left arm from the beating.
Shokoya who said he is a native of Ogun and that he attended the Oworonshoki Primary School, Lagos told court that he informed his lawyer about the assault.
Earlier, a policewoman, ASP Mercy Ibok narrated to the court how she obtained the driver’s statement. She described herself as a traffic officer serving at the Alapere Police Station.
Led in evidence by the DPP, Ibok said that after Shokoya was brought to the police station after the alleged manslaughter of the LASTMA officer, she was cordial and friendly towards him.
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She said that her superior was in the office alongside two LASTMA officers when the defendant’s statement was taken.
“The office is an open office that contained five chairs and a table. The atmosphere was very calm. I conversed with him in English Language.
“The defendant asked me to write his statement and he went through it before signing it. The allegations that he was coerced into giving a statement is false. Idid not beat him,” she said.
While being cross-examined by Kolawole, Ibok said that Shokoya never informed her that he did not understand English Language and that a lawyer was not present when his statement was taken.
On why she did not indicate the time the statement was taken according to standard police procedure, Ibok said that she had just received the bad news of Akinmade’s death.
“I did not indicate the time of the statement because she was in a state of shock and when I heard the bad news, I took him to the cell.
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“I did not write the content of the statement as a result of bias”she said.
The prosecution alleges that the defendant caused the death of Akinmade at 7.20p.m. on Jan. 26, on Ikorodu Expressway by Demurin Junction, Ketu, Lagos.
The DPP alleges that the defendant mowed down Akinmade with his Opel Car with registration number AAA 74 GG.
The offence contravened the provisions of Section 224 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015 and is punishable under Section 229 of the same law.
Justice Oyindamola Ogala adjourned the case until Dec.12 for adoption of written addresses in the trial-within-trial.
