I am now safely out of the labyrinth of a police conspiracy centered
around one Lekan Fatodu whom, in January 2016, we reported on
SaharaReporters had been involved in laundering money for Femi
Fani-Kayode.
On Wednesday, Lekan and a friend of his referred to as “Ándre” waylaid me
at GRA Ikeja and tried to kill me. The attempt was resisted by the public,
following which he showed up later with a police van from Area “F” police
with a plain cloth police team. As it turned out, Commissioner of the
Lagos State Police Command, Fatai Owoseni was part of the conspiracy, as
he pulled out a petition alleging “criminal defamation” against me, got
upset when I questioned his position and impartiality, and threatened to
deal with me.
Even in the days of General Abacha, I did not experience that brazen
partiality.
My attack by Fatodu was organized with the police, but as they were unable
to arrest me directly, he was given the cover to carry out an attack that
would give the police their needed tonic to take vengeance on me. The
situation wasn’t better when I was hurled before Lagos CP, Mr. Owoseni and
later, Frank Mba, who started a winding story claiming it was a messy
case.
I was asked to sign for my bail on Self Recognizance, but I declined,
insisting I had not been arrested by the police and were that the case,
that I preferred to be booked and shown an arrest warrant. After a short
argument, I was let go without signing a bail bond, but was asked to
return to the Panti Police Station on Thursday at 2p.m.
I wish to thank all Nigerians and others who have reached out to me over
this saga. I am grateful to Peter Claver Oparah, Temitope Gomez and
Inibehe Effiong who served last night as my lawyer, as well as the
construction workers at Isaac John Street who came out to defend me from
what could have been a fatal attack.
I will return to Panti on Thursday as requested, to confront the police
over the case. Rest assured that I’ve always prepared for things of this
nature this in the course of my self-appointed duties as a conscience of
the public. If you have spare time tomorrow, meet me at the SCID at Panti
at 2 pm. There is no retreat and no surrender.”