By Apprehensions As Kunle Poly Sets To Leave Prison Custody
The residents and traders in Lagos Island are at the moment living in fear as news infiltered in during the week, that the Lagos Island Branch B Chairman, of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Abdulazeez Lawal, popularly known as Kunle Poly, who is currently in prison custody, will be set free on his next adjourned date, as the office of the Lagos State, Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP, is allegedly set to present a No-Case-To-Answer before the court.
Operatives at Zone 2, Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, had arrested Kunle Poly and three others after he was accused of leading some thugs to attack his rivals at the Idumota area of Lagos Island, on January 19, 2022, where two residents lost their lives, several others sustained severe injuries, while traders on the bustling streets of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Balogun East and West, John, Ijayie, Doherty and Oke Arin Streets, were maimed and robbed of millions of naira.
Traders under the umbrella of The Ibunkun Oluwa Market Association, swiftly wrote a petition to the office of the Inspector General of Police, Force Headquarters, Abuja and the office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, Onikan, on January 21, 2022, where they accused Kunle Poly of unleashing mayhem on traders and residents of the Lagos Island.
It was gathered that, while Kunle Poly, was arrested and interrogated by the police at Zone 2, Command, it was alleged that he confessed to having ordered the immediate burial of one of the residents who was killed during the clash without getting approval from the police and also the consent of the deceased family.
Police sources disclosed that, while Kunle Poly, was in custody, the corpse of the deceased resident was exhumed from the shallow grave where it was buried and an autopsy was conducted, then it was established that the deceased died on the day of the clash and he was killed by the gunshots injuries he sustained during the clash.
A source who spoke to journalist on the condition of anonymity disclosed that based on the discoveries, the police at Zone 2, Command, charged Kunle Poly and others, to the Yaba Magistrate Court, for murder, conspiracy to commit murder and being a member of an unlawful society. A duplicate copy of the case file was subsequently transferred to the Lagos State DPP for advice.
Meantime, some residents and traders on the Idumota axis of Lagos Island, who spoke to our correspondence during the week, disclosed that thugs loyal to Kunle Poly, have been on a rampage, attacking and maiming traders and residents who they felt were instrumental to the arrest and incarceration of their boss.
So far, over 30 young men have been inflicted with severe body injuries around areas Idumagbo, Balogun and Idumota, in the last one week since Kunle Poly was remanded in prison.
Speaking BlackBox Nigeria, Ramota Abike, a trader on Balogun Street, Lagos Island, said Kunle Poly boys, are roaming the streets looking for their rivals and traders, who wrote petitions to the police authorities against their boss and she said they have vowed to maim and kill anyone working with the police authority against. She also said that the boys have also vowed not to end their violent activities until their boss, Kunle Poly is released from prison custody.
According to her, “there are over 30 boys that have been injured after the Chairman, Kunle Poly, has been arrested, and initially, we felt peace when he was arrested and taken away but his boys resumed hostilities when news came in that the was going to be freed by the DPP. In the last two weeks, Kunle poly boys have gone out of control, attacking people indiscriminately and making our markets unsafe. We have sent a series of updates to the Zone 2; Police Command and we currently have information that he is spending money at the office DPP so he can get a no case to answer submission from the DPP.”
Taiwo Dada, a resident of Isale Eko, Lagos Island, also said, Kunle Poly, has been intimidating and harassing persons he felt bear witness against him in court when his trial begins. Dada said some of the traders who signed the petition against Kunle poly before his arrest are currently in hiding as they have been receiving several threats calls from him while in custody and he is boasting that he will deal with them when he is free.
Dada said, “the situation is tense here and everyone who took part in getting the police to bring Kunle Poly to justice is living in fear. We are getting calls regularly from his phone number from the prison and he is threatening our lives and that of our families. The people who they are attacking currently are traders and residents of our community and they know that they will bear witness against him in court. lastly, we have it in good authority that some persons at the DPP are working to get him released and have the State declare that he has no case to answer. This is sad as the government, the institutions we trust in has failed us. All we need is his justice and peace.”
