Man Battling For Life After Attack By Bribe-Seeking Policeman

A 20-year-old, Fashion designer, Taiwo Ayomide who was on Tuesday attacked by a yet to be identified bribe-seeking policeman, is currently battling for his life at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.

AllNews understands that Ayomide, who lives In Owena, was coming back to his base from Iragbiji after the Eid-el-Kabir festival with his friend, Wasiu Oladimeji, when their motorcycle was stopped by some policemen attached to the Ibokun Divisional Headquarters, Osun State, at a checkpoint in Ilahun.

Wasiu, while narrating how the incident happened on Thursday, explained that the policemen stopped their motorcycle and demanded a bribe.

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He said, “We met about four policemen at the checkpoint in Ilahun. One of them, who appeared drunk, approached us and demanded a bribe. When Ayomide brought out the amount the policeman demanded and was about to give him, the cop saw a bundle of N50,000 in my friend’s pocket.

“At that point, the policeman suddenly became aggressive. He approached us and hit Ayomide’s head with the butt of his rifle. The two of us fell from the motorcycle, while the three other policemen ran away.

“Before I managed to stand up, the policeman who perpetrated the act was about to flee, but he was stopped by some passersby, who got to the scene. Ayomide was bleeding from the nose, mouth, and ear after the attack.

“A police officer, who was not at the scene when the attack took place, came and directed that Ayomide should be rushed to the hospital. The officer rushed him to the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, in his private car.

“Ayomide is currently at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. “He is unconscious. He has not opened his eyes or talk since then. His mobile phone and the sum of N50,000 in his pocket were stolen.”

On his part, the victim’s boss, Popoola Adebayo whose claims backed Oladimeji’s said when he got to the scene, Ayomide was lying on the road and was drenched in blood.

He revealed further that they were asked at the hospital to make a deposit of N50,000 for Taiwo’s treatment and that the Divisional Police Officer, Ibokun Division, paid N30,000 out of the sum.

However, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Yemisi Opalola, said she had not been briefed about the incident.