Man accuses Police of favouring suspect charged for threatening his life

…Petitions Osun police commissioner, demands fresh investigation

A resident of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Setima Kayode Lawal has accused the police of bias in the investigation and prosecution of a suspect, Joseph  Dawiyan, who allegedly threatened his life with a loaded double barrel gun on September 6, 2018.

Setima  Kayode Lawal in his sworn affidavit dated December 18, 2018, had alleged that the suspect, alongside others, threatened to kill him with a loaded double barrel gun on September 6, 2018.

Joseph Dawiyan was subsequently arrested by the police and arraigned before an Ile-Ife Chief Magistrate’s Court, where he pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge of conspiracy and threat to life.

The charges were brought against the suspect by the police under Sections 516 and 86 (2) of the Criminal Code of Osun State 2002.

But Setima  Kayode Lawal, in a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, through his lawyers, A.A Awosemo Esq, alleged that the police at A Div, Moore, Ile-Ife, Osun State, who arrested 27-year-old  Joseph Dawiyan following a report he lodged with their station, were biased in their investigation of the matter and eventually charged the suspect to court on a two-count charge of conspiracy and threat to life under Sections 516 and 86 (2) of the Criminal Code of Osun State 2002, which he said was the wrong law in this circumstance, thereby favouring him.

Setima Kayode Lawal said in his petition that the police in A Div, Ile-Ife, defiantly charged the suspect to court without first conducting the necessary investigations to ascertain where the suspect, Dawiyan got an unlicensed double barrel gun and live cartridges, as well as probe what the suspect was using the dangerous weapon for.

The petitioner added that rather than prosecuting the suspect,  Joseph Dawiyan in court under the Firearms Act, the police charged him under the Criminal Code with the intent of allowing him to escape justice in court.

The petition partly reads, “On the face of the charge, it is apparent that the police deliberately favoured Joseph Dawiyan in the sense that Section 86 (2) of the Criminal Code is threat against a dwelling house, whereas it was my client that was about to be killed and not a building.”

Setima Kayode Lawal also stated in his petition that he found another fault on the charge sheet regarding discrepancy in the date the incident occurred.

“Another fault found on the charge sheet is that the incident happened on  6th day of September 2018 and not on 22nd day of August 2018 as stated in court by the charge sheet,” Lawal’s petition added.

Setima Kayode Lawal, therefore, urged the Osun State Police Commissioner to order further and more detailed investigation into the matter.