Deji Lambo
A journalist, Folake Sokoya, has petitioned the Lagos council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists over alleged torture by security guards at the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu.
Sokoya, whose battle with the Lagos State’s owned institution had been in public space for a while, said she had been denied justice by appropriate government agencies.
She noted that the institution had manipulated the narrative in its favour, hence the need for the state NUJ to come to her aid.
The 40-year-old alleged that she and her son, Boluwatife Olowu, were manhandled by security guards at the school.
Olowu, a National Diploma student in the Hospitality Management Technology Department of the school, was reportedly seized by the guards for wearing earrings on the school’s premises.
He was said to have been brutalised before Sokoya showed up and challenged the guards for assaulting her son.
The freelance journalist said she was also beaten up, adding that she reported the case at the Sagamu Road Police Station.
Sokoya explained that her past experience from almost losing her son to kidnappers prompted her to visit the school when she was informed about the incident.
She said, “My son was abducted by some ritual killers on June 11, 2017; it took the grace of God to find him after four days. So, when he called to tell me that he had been arrested, I was scared. I quickly informed the police and the 174 battalion commandant before rushing out.
“I also called some of his classmates to know his whereabouts; one of them, Ajibola, told me that she saw him when the security guards were beating him up.
“I got back to the commandant and he told me to ask for the Chief Security Officer of the school. I saw my son seated on the floor when I got to the security unit. Immediately they knew I was there because of him, they refused to give me the CSO’s phone number, so I had to leave with my son. We were about three blocks away before my son identified two security officers and showed me the one who beat him up. I was surprised when they accosted him again and wanted to take him back to the unit.
“I challenged them as a mother and they pushed me out of the way. I held one of them. The other guard tried to remove my hand and in the process his clothes got torn. The guard became annoyed and punched me on the face and head butted me until I passed out.
“They dragged me into their office and injured me. I was admitted to a hospital for about three weeks. The police told me that they could not arrest them because it was a school matter.
“I want justice; I have spent a lot on medical bills. They stole my son’s gold chain; they also spoiled his phones.”
Punch
