EXTRA: Olakunle Karimu, Esq Narrates His Ordeal, Says He was Beaten By Police On His Boss’ Command

[The Lagos based lawyer, Kunle Karimu, Esq who was beaten by men of the Nigerian Police Force on the alleged behest of his employer as shown in a video circulated online, has given his own version of what actually transpired.

Narrating the story, he gave the detailed account of how he was assaulted by the policemen right in the presence of his employer.

According to him, he was employed in the law firm of Oluyomi Olawore & Co sometime in July 2017. Deductions were made from his salary as taxes, but not remitted until after many complaints and frequent visits from LIRS to his office.

But sometime in May, 2018 his employer, Mr. Oluyomi Olawore, informed him that his services would no longer be needed by June ending and that he should prepare his resignation letter and handover gradually which he did.

However, he stated that he was subsequently asked to leave the office for not rendering any services to his employer.

” Sometimes on the 8th of June, 2018, he told me to leave his office for not rendering any service to him, but only waiting for salary and also waiting till month end for salary for no work done.

”After much persuasion from other staff after so many disagreements in the office, he issued to me a crossed post-dated cheque for my salary, payable on the 29th June 2018. It was stated that the tax receipts will be ready same day.

”He watched as I packed and cleared my table and left his office monitored by his Secretary and Driver,” he said.

He further states that on the 29th day of June, 2018, he presented the cheque at the bank for payment, but was refused on ground that the signature had to be regularised by the issuer for payment. He then proceeded to meet his employer after that.

”On getting to the office floor, I waited outside for the Secretary to come take the cheque to Mr. Olawore to regularise his signature on the cheque for payment, but he refused and told the secretary to return same back to me to deal with it.

”Meanwhile he called one Miss Chizoba Ezeadi, his personal consultant, to lock up the entrance door and not let me in. But on sighting an extern assigned to his firm from law school, he told the said Miss Chizoba to open up the entrance door which made me gain access to his office.

”I walked up to him and urged him to clear my cheque and also handover my tax receipt which he refused, but ordered Miss Chizoba to rush down to Lions Building Police Command and bring his contracted police men. I was in his office when the police men came and called his number that they are stationed outside his office. He told them to break his office door if need be and come deal with me, that, I have held him hostage.

”Meanwhile, he had his phone with him, wasn’t threatened, and I was never armed. Even the externs were in his office library; a staff was in the office and not harmed.
He then signed the cheque to clear same and ordered me out of his office. On getting to the door, I met some men dressed in black outfit with no identification or arrest warrant or invitation.

They said that I was a kidnapper who is threatening someone’s life. I was beaten up by the two men, slapped repeatedly, dragged on the stairways, threatened with a gun, and inflicted bodily harm. During this incident, my employer didn’t stop the assault, instead he monitored and supervised same in his office.

When it became glaring to his personal consultant, Miss Chizoba, that things are out of control and the incident was being recorded by other office staff on the building, she called on Mr. Olawore to stop the brutality. He then ordered the Two contracted police men to leave me alone and come to his office to be handsomely paid. I had a swollen ear and jaw, bruised and twisted arm, torn shirt and damaged belt,” he added.]]>