A reportedly drunk Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps officer has been accused of blinding a man, Quham Adelakun, during a party on Bamgbose Street, Lagos Island, Lagos State.
Trouble started when Adelakun, who lived on the street, tried to enter the venue of the event on Sunday.
However, guards at the event, including the LNSC officer, stopped him after he could not show his invitation card.
An eyewitness, Lateef Shonibare, said an argument ensued between Adelakun and the guards, which resulted in a brawl.
He said, “Quham (Adelakun) was inside the venue but stepped out. As he was about to enter again, two guards stopped him. He was bullied and so he tried to fight back.
“All of a sudden, they started beating him. The best way he could defend himself was to pick up an iron rod. But those officers overpowered him and hit his face with their bats about four times, then he fell down. When he stood up, he tried to defend himself by breaking a bottle. Immediately after those officials saw this, they ran away. Quham couldn’t see anything at that point. I tried to calm him down and took the bottle from him.
“Those officers and their leader were saying he stabbed himself in the face. Is that possible? The officers and Quham were all drunk.”
One of the organisers of the event, who did not want his name in print, said he invited the LNSC officer to secure the place because the party was strictly by invitation.
Photos of the victim seen by PUNCH Metro showed him lying on a hospital bed with blood on his face as one of his eyeballs popped out.
The LNSC officer that allegedly attacked Adelakun was identified as Olawale.
Speaking to PUNCH Metro, the victim, who was still receiving treatment, confirmed the identity of the LNSC officer.
He said the second official that also beat him was in mufti.
Adelakun stated that the guards prevented him from going into the venue despite his pleas.
The LNSC, in a statement on Wednesday, said the deployment of the officer did not follow due process.
The statement read in part, “The incident is unpalatable and the agency expresses its deepest unhappiness at it, while it wishes to implore the general public to kindly remain calm pending the completion of the investigation in order to ensure justice is served.”
