7th March, 2012
Hell was let loose on Tuesday at Onikolobo area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, southwest Nigeria, when at least 10 hoodlums, including a police officer, invaded a hostel housing students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, MAPOLY.
The hoodlums, including the officer who was identified as Michael Tanimowo, allegedly invaded the hostel inhabited by Muslim students around 7 p.m. and attacked the occupants from one room to the other.
The attack resulted in serious injuries to two students who were identified as Adeyemo Sodiq and Yusuff.
Our correspondent gathered that the building called ‘Blessed Castle’, was formerly occupied by cult members before it was taken over by Muslim students who later changed the name from ‘Blue Land’ to Blessed Castle.
Trouble started when a lady called Mahrufah Makinde went to a technician to repair her phone but later found out that the earphone, mouthpiece and the speaker of the phone were missing.
Makinde, in company of other friends went to the technician at Fowobi junction beside WAEC office in Onikolobo to complain about the missing components of the phone but they were rebuffed and one of the students called Yusuff was beaten blue black.
As if that was not enough, the hoodlums who were suspected members of a cult group led by the son of a landlord in company of four others later stormed the hostel on commercial motorcycles (okadas) with dangerous weapons.
They attacked male occupants of the hostel who were preparing to observe their sunset (Magrib) prayer.
It was further gathered that six other youths later arrived the house and again beat the hell out of the male occupants.
One of the injured occupants of the hostel is Adeyemo Sodiq who fainted after sustaining severe injuries on his face and mouth.
He was later rushed to a nearby hospital where he was treated.
Another victim, Yusuff said to be the son of a Naval Officer escaped from the scene to a nearby brother’s house for safety.
It was also gathered that the Imam of the house, Jamiu Sekoni, was also assaulted by the hoodlums when he resisted attempt by the hoodlums to take Sodiq away.
When our correspondent visited the house later in the night, many occupants of the hostel, mostly ladies, had fled to avoid being attacked again.
An eye witness, Aminat, told P.M.NEWS that the police officer, a traffic warden, always comes to the house to cause confusion.
It was gathered that Tanimowo Michael was a graduate of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic where he studied Mass Communication and has been posted to Gombe State for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
The case has been reported at the Oluwo Police Post but no arrest has been made as at the time of filing this report.
When our correspondent visited the police post, a police source confirmed the incident and added that they are keeping tab on the suspects as they have fled from the area.
Tanimowo, the police officer responds:
“I likelıke to correct the report on pm news on the 7/3/12.by abıodun onafuye on the ıssue exagerated by the reporter to promote relıgıous crisıs.the polıceman by name tanımowo mıchael,the landlord to the blessed castle.mahrufah makınde,amınat,yusuf,sodıq,and the so called ımam by name jamıu sekonı,they are all tanants.however,the ıssue goes thus.mahrufah makınde gave her phone to a technıcıan by name sodıya who was accommodated by tanımowo asısa,a sıster to the traffıc warden offıcer.after sodıya repaıred mahrufah’s phone through tanımowo aruna,a frıend to sodıya,mahrufah came back wıth some boys ın the same house ıncludıng cult guys.not knowıng that the polıce by name tanımowo mıchael was around ın the shop wıth the sıster.however,those boys were fıghtıng at the shop,not knowıng that sodıya was not around.therefore,when sodıya came back, he called hıs group opc alongsıde to the house,and opc and some cult guys ın the house attacked on another.the ımam was the former caretaker of the house,but was removed by the polıce for accomodating only muslıms.
By Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta