…threatens legal action against institution
- She attacked our men first for seizing her son’s earrings – School spokesman
The mother of a student of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Mrs. Folake Sokoya, has threatened to drag the authorities of the institution to court over an alleged assault she suffered in the hands of some security personnel on the campus of the school.
Sokoya also accused LASPOTECH of leveling a false allegation against her over the incident.
It was learnt that trouble started between the institution’s security personnel and Sokoya after her son, Daniel, was accused of being a cult member because of the earrings he was wearing.
The institution’s security operatives allegedly pounced on Daniel and assaulted him physically over the matter.
Sokoya told our correspondent that the school’s security men also assaulted her when she approached them to find out why they had dealt with her son so.
Showing our correspondent her bruised body, face and injured leg, she claimed that rather than respond to her inquiry, the guards pounced on her, raining blows on her and head-butting her.
However, LASPOTECH’s Deputy Registrar, Information and Public Relations, Mr. Olanrewaju Kuye, accused Sokoya of attacking the security men first, when she went to find out the reason was assaulted.
Kuye said that Sokoya’s belligerent action attracted the attention of the institution’s chief security officer, who promptly intervened to avoid the situation from degenerating.
He said; “Mrs. Sokoya came to the security office in company with her son. Initially, she requested to see the Chief Security Officer over a message from the Commanding Officer, 174 Battalion, Odogunyan. She, however, ran out of patience when her son diverted her attention to the security personnel, Mr. Moses Hitler, who earlier seized his earrings. She queried him for the effrontery he had to have seized her son’s earrings and she attacked him and tore his clothes. She slapped him several times and scattered everything in the Security Unit.
“She vehemently resisted all efforts to release the officer from her grip and even attempted to attack anyone who tried to stop her. Despite the action of the CSO, she continued to exhibit her hooligan demeanour, scattering everywhere. As that was on, the Commanding Officer, 174 Battalion, called to appeal on her behalf and requested for settlement, which the CSO considered and settled the commotion she created.
“Surprisingly, after the settlement, she later reported again at the Sagamu Road Police Station to complain of an assault on her. But the Polytechnic had, however, forwarded a report to the police on her actions against our security personnel.”
But Sokoya said the allegation of assault by her on LASPOTECH security men was false and misleading.
She said, “It is not only disappointing, but disheartening to know that an institution of repute as LASPOTECH would engage itself in such libelous act and outright fabrications, with the sole aim of covering up gross misconduct and unprofessional conduct of its security department. The institution’s security officials are notorious for maltreating several innocent citizens and there have been quite a number of complaints from students, lecturers and parents in this regard.
“The author of the said press release was never at the scene of the incident; therefore, all the narratives were third-hand information with lots of twists, colorations and fabrications and at no occasion have I been contacted by the management of the institution to ask for my own side of the story, despite the fact that I sustained several life-threatening injuries and was bedridden for weeks with wounds yet to heal till
date.
“It may interest the general public to know, that there are pictorial and video evidence on the true account of what transpired between both parties on that fateful day. The pictures of how I was battered is enough evidence that their publication is false and misleading. My son and I were not involved in an accident, but were battered mercilessly by LASPOTECH security guards. I have resorted to seeking legal redress in the quest for justice and my lawyer has been consulted and briefed on the matter.”
