26th December, 2017
Lagos State Police Command has officially released a statement to clarify the reason Nigerian singer Praise Ugbede Adejo popularly known as Praiz was arrested.
The 33 year old RnB singer was stopped on his way to his record label X3M Music‘s end of the year party, and was taken to Ajah police station. His phone was reportedly smashed when he attempted recording his arrest.
Although the police, in its statement has described Praiz as the driver, and that the car Praiz was riding in was on top speed, so the officers had tried to stop him, Praiz and his team said they were riding in an Uber.
Read the Full Statement:
On the 19th day of December 2017, at noon hours, police men attached to Area ‘J’ Command Headquarters, Ajah, Lagos, who were on routine anti crime patrol along Lekki/Epe express way, noticed a car at top speed approaching their end.
The police men sensed that the speed was much and so were alarmed hence they flagged down the car to check on the occupants and if necessary search the trunk of the car.
When the car stopped, the officers who were in their uniforms approached the driver but to their disbelief, the driver who was yet to be addressed by the police men became hysterical without provocation and started shouting ” Sars, sars, sars ooo”. As he was shouting and pouring unprintable invectives on the officers of the law, he was at the same time filming them.
These unprovoked actions on the part of the driver whose true identity at that time was unknown to the patrol men, made them even more suspicious of him and so they requested him to come with them to see the Area Commander, ACP Felix Oben whom they had already called to report the conduct of the man.
It was at the Area Commander’s office that they got to know that he is a musician that goes by the name Praiz. The Area Commander questioned him and advised him to be of good behaviour. He thereafter departed the police station peacefully without any molestation whatsoever.
The Police authority in Lagos nevertheless felt scandalized by Praiz’s rudeness to the men in uniform who were out to ensure law, order and safety along the Lekki/ Epe corridor.
It is a matter of common knowledge that the Command Commissioner of Police, CP. Edgal Imohimi, who has dismissed a number of police men that abused their offices since assuming office, would not hesitate to deal with the policemen if they had erred. It is also instructive to note that the officers are not SARS operatives as erroneously assumed by Praiz but conventional police men in their uniforms serving at Area ‘J’ Command Headquarters.
The Lagos State Police Command, wishes to use this medium to inform all and sundry in Lagos state, that the present Commissioner of Police, CP Edgal Imohimi had on assumption office set up the Citizen Complaint Centre with dedicated lines where complaints against police actions can be lodged for necessary action. Celebrities are therefore advised to take advantage of these numbers or call on the Police Public Relations Officer instead of resorting to cheap social media blackmail.
Below are the Citizen Complaint Centre numbers:
08067945296
08063025274
08113615350
08113683077
08096283148
08096283183
08089781657
08126404930
08081426895
SP Chike Oti
Police Public Relations Officer,
Lagos State Police Command.