I have over 50 petitions against Sagamu DPO – Majority Leader

Abiodun Onafuye/ Abeokuta

The ongoing war of words between the Ogun State Police Command and the Majority Leader of the State House of Assembly, Adeyinka Mafe, has taken a new twist as the lawmaker has declared that he has over fifty petitions written by the people of Sagamu against the DPO of Sagamu Police Division, CSP John Mark.

The lawmaker representing Sagamu 1 State Constituency maintained that Mark deserves not to remain in Sagamu.

He also hinted that the House of Assembly might summon the Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, and the Command’s spokesman, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, over the alleged criminal cases levelled against him (Mafe).

Mark, last Tuesday, raised his voice before the House over alleged extortion and highhandedness of DPO Mark against the people of Sagamu, after which the Assembly ordered a probe of the DPO.

But in a swift reaction, the Police Command, through its Public Relations Officer, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi said Yinka Mafe has no moral justification to raise such issues as he has about 15 criminal cases linked to him.

The lawmaker, however urged the police to conclude investigations into the alleged criminal cases against him on time, in order to charge him to court.

He queried why the police command waited until he accused a senior police officer before it came up with allegations of 15 criminal cases against him.

When P.M.NEWS correspondent asked Mafe whether the police have any criminal cases against him, the second time lawmaker said he was not aware of such criminal cases against him.

According to him, “I don’t want to sound like I accused the DPO, I have in my posession, series of petitions from victims of extortion, criminal extortions I called them, because these are innocent people that would be arrested unlawfully and money would be demanded from them and until they pay those monies, they would not be allowed to go home. I see it as criminal extortions.

“And I felt like, after reporting the DPO to the PPRO severally and to the CP too, I felt the next thing is to raise it at the floor of the House and possibly present those petitions against him.

“Personally, I wonder if the PPRO understands what he is saying. I am the best person that can speak on behalf of my people and I want to believe that whatever I say at the floor of the House is what has come to my knowledge from the constituents and I want to believe that I am protected to say those things.”

Mafe further stated: “It baffles me that the PPRO and CP himself will wait until now that I am accussing one of the unprofessional policemen that I have ever met in my life, CSP John Mark, before coming out with this allegation of 15 criminal cases they claimed to be investigating.

“I want to urge and challenge them to speed up the investigation, so that they can take me to court. I am a lawyer and I am ready to meet them in court. I am not shy about going to court, I will be very happy to defend myself, if the need be but I want to assure you and the good people of my constituency that the PPRO is just a shameless liar.

“He’s just being aggrieved about some personal issue. If he puts equal amount of energy into investigating the DPO of Sagamu, like he is doing to attack my person, he is going to find out the issue and he is going to do a lot of service to the people of Sagamu.

“As I’m speaking with you, I have over 50 petitions and these people are ready to come out. In fact, the Honourable from Sagamu Constituency II has informed the Speaker that the DPO has a PoS machine with which he collects bribe and I am putting this on record, quoting Hon. Soyebo, because he is from Sagamu as myself and I think that is grievous.”

The former Chairman, House Committee on Education, Science and Technology of the Assembly, frowned at the attitude of the State Police Command, of accusing him wrongly when they ought to investigate the allegation levelled against their officer.

He wondered why the Command, whose leadership including the State Police Commissioner, CP Abdulmajid Ali and the PPRO himself, Muyiwa Adejobi, were at his birthday celebration a forthnight ago, would associate itself with someone being investigated for criminal activities.

“It is suprising that two weeks ago, the CP and the PPRO were in my premises and they were there for all night. We were together. If I have these criminal charges and investigations are going on, I wonder why they will associate themselves with me.

“But having said that, I am not aware that I am being investigated, it is suprising that I just opened the papers and see that the PPRO said the police have 15 cases they are investigating against me.

“They should speed up the investigation and charge me to court and let’s meet in court,” he challenged the police.