Blog

Success Nwogu

When by twist of fate Mr. Babatunde Rufai met Sola, a man who allegedly defrauded him of N950,000, in police detention at Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department, he thought his tribulation was over and that the police would release him.

Babatunde Rufai

Rufai, who runs a restaurant with his wife at Block 296 Akinyele Abesan Estate, Lagos, had been in police trouble since 2010 after the man identified simply as Sola gave him a forged bank draft to pay for a Toyota Camry car.

He told PUNCH METRO that on May 24, 2010, he was approached by one of his customers, Mr. Olajide Ogunbona, to sell his Toyota Camry car for him. He said that Sola bought the car, but duped him by paying with a bank draft which later turned out to be fake.

To worsen the matter, Sola had already taken possession of the car before Rufai discovered that the bank draft was fake.

He said he reported the matter to the police with Ogunbona but to his astonishment, he was arrested and detained for three weeks. He was only released after he signed an undertaking to pay back the N950, 000 by instalments.

Rufai said his ordeal intensified when he was later re-arrested and taken to Panti State Criminal and Investigation Department because he could not continue the payment as he had no money.

However, while Rufai was in detention at SCID, he saw Sola in one of the cells. He quickly alerted the police officers, telling them that he had seen the man responsible for his woes.

Rufai said, "On May 24, 2010, one of my customers, Mr. Ogunbona, gave me a Toyota Camry car to sell. I agreed to sell it because I felt that other customers who come to eat in our restaurant may be interested.

"Sola brought the car. Both of us went to a bank together and the bank stamped the bank draft. I called the owner of the car that someone had paid N950,000 for the car. He told me to release the car to him. Later I found out that the bank draft was fake. I took Ogunbona to a police station and reported the matter. The police surprisingly detained me. I spent about three weeks in detention before and was released after I had signed an undertaking to be repaying the man gradually.

"I started payment. But at a time, I did not have money to continue to pay. The police re-arrested me. I was taken to SCID, where I was also detained. After some days, they took me to court but the court did not hold that day. They took me back to another cell.

"Surprisingly, I saw the man that bought the car from me in the cell. They said they brought him from Abuja over another issue. I shouted and my Investigating Police Officer came and asked why I shouted and I told him. They took the man aside and showed him the bank draft and he owned up to the fraud."

He said after more investigation, the police released him (Rufai) on bail but asked him to be reporting to them periodically, adding that Sola had agreed to pay for the car.

Rufai said he was still heaving a sigh of relief, when he fell ill. He discovered in the hospital that he had contracted pneumonia in detention. While he was still battling the illness, he developed eye problem, which he said also started while he was in detention. He said doctors told him he needed about N150, 000 for the eye surgery.

He urged Nigerians, concerned non-governmental organisations and the government to intervene and stop the police from further harassing him since they had found the man that defrauded him.

The state Police Command spokesman, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, said the police were not victimising Rafiu but were only making him to assist them in the investigation.

He said he should feel free to give the police necessary information that could help in the investigation and possible prosecution of the culprit.

He also added that the man's alleged health ordeal was not caused by his stay in detention but could have been an existing ill health.

"The police are not victimising him. He is helping the police in investigation and possible prosecution of the culprits. All he needs do is to keep giving the police necessary information at his disposal that can lead to prosecution of the actual criminal" Jinadu said.