Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi
An Abeokuta-based aluminium fabricator, Sokunbi Damilola, has narrated how Mohammed Seedu, a car dealer, allegedly influenced the Ogun State Police Command to detain him and his friends after defrauding him of N3million.
According to FIJ, Damilola said Seedu are well known to the police in Ogun because he was the one who helped most of the officers, including Abimbola Oyeyemi, the state’s police spokesperson, to get their vehicles.
He said he met Seedu in September 2021, after one of his church members, who is also a police officer, introduced him as a reliable car dealer.
“In September 2021, a church member of mine, who is a police officer, introduced me to the man. He said Seedu helped them buy cars at the police headquarters, Eleweran,” Damilola said.
He opted for a vehicle worth N3million.
“On September 8, 2021, I journeyed to Coutonu, Benin Republic, with the dealer to get my car. He asked me to send N3million to a certain bank account and told me to go back to Nigeria,” he added.
“When I got home, I told the police officer everything, and he assured me that the man was trustworthy. In fact, he said the same man helped some senior officers, including the PPRO, Abimbola Oyeyemi, secure their vehicles.”
The next time Damilola spoke with the dealer, he was told to expect his car in one week, but he had not seen the vehicle.
“We talked via phone call and voice chat, but since the beginning of this year, he hasn’t picked up my calls or replied to my chats,” Damilola said.
On getting a report of what had happened, the PPRO pleaded with Damilola, saying Seedu would deliver the vehicle.
“He said I needed to be patient with him, adding that he would call him to start picking my calls. But up till now, he does not pick my calls nor reply to my chats,” said Damilola.
On February 13, 2022, Damilola got a hint from his friends that the dealer was in a car wash around Olomore, Ogun State. He went there, but sighting him, the man drove off.
Seedu drove to Lafenwa Police Station to accuse Damilola and his friends of attempting to lynch him.
“I, Saheed, Azeez and Gafar were paraded by the police,” said Damilola.
“They said we attempted to rob Seedu and that we also broke his glasses. The manager of the car wash and other witnesses told the police that what Seedu said was not true.”
Surprisingly, the dealer reported the incident to the Ogun police spokesperson, and he ordered the DPO of Lafenwa to detain the accused, according to Damilola.
He said the DPO of Lafenwa police station was willing to help after hearing his ordeal, but was scared of the police spokesperson.
When Oyeyemi, the Ogun police spokesperson, was contacted, he said he was in a meeting.