A group, Society for Women Empowerment (SWE) has berated the deputy governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa for allegedly beating up his wife, Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa.

The group in a statement by its National Coordinator, Mrs Damilola Charles, accused the deputy governor of repeatedly beating his wife, Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa in the presence of his staff and friends.

The group said Wife beating is a civil rights problem of enormous magnitude, adding that the campaign on violence against women must be applicable to elected officers in the country.

The statement reads: “We have taken our time to investigate and confirm the allegations of domestic violence between the deputy governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and his wife, Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa.

“Rumour mills are abuzz about the condemnable act of the deputy governor. We indeed, have it on good authority that the deputy governor has physically assaulted his wife twice in the last four months.

“It is unacceptable that a deputy governor would physically assault his wife and inflicted grievous bodily injuries on her. It is equally disturbing that the deputy governor would perpetrate this crime against humanity and womanhood and attempt to cover it up.

“Those who occupy public offices are expected to be above board and conduct themselves in a manner that would inspire the people and serve as role models.

“It is shocking to discover that the deputy governor assaulted his wife severally to the point that the Wife had to escape to the United Kingdom to save her life.

“The deputy governor has broken moral decorum and acted in a manner that brings his office to disrepute. We are, to say the least, disappointed with this embarrassing conduct.”

The group called on the First Lady of Ondo State, Chief Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu, and the commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development to dig deeper into the matter and unravel the details.

“We are calling on the First Lady, Chief Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu, and the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development in the State to look deeper into the situation and represent the interest of the Nigerian women.

“We are aware that the deputy governor had deliberately attempted to cover up this incident and also silenced his close aides who witnessed the scene on different occasions.

“We are also giving the deputy governor seven days ultimatum to come clean and apologise to his wife publicly. Failure to do this will attract massive action against him.” The statement reads.

The Lagos State Police Command on Wednesday announced the dismissal of Sgt. Ekpo Shimuyere, who was attached to the Sogunle Division, for extorting a young man of N98,000.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, told journalists that the command’s Provost Department had already disrobed the dismissed sergeant.

According to him, the dismissed sergeant collected the phone of his victim and used a Point of Sale operator to transfer N98,000 out of the N100,000 in the young man’s bank account.

Hundeyin said the policeman’s action was contrary to the ethics of the profession.

He said, “The police command got the complaint from the victim and the officer denied the crime when he was contacted. The command placed him under detention so that he will not tamper with the evidence.

“We wrote to his bank and obtained his statement of account. We were able to trace the money to where the POS operator transferred it before transferring the money to the officer’s account.

“We followed due process to get his account. The victim was invited in the course of the investigation and he testified.

“The POS operator was also invited, and he said the officer requested him to transfer the money from the victim’s account to another one.”

The PPRO said the Sergeant was consequently subjected to an orderly room trial in line with extant laws.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command, Mr Idowu Owohunwa, has reviewed the orderly room procedure of the officer with Force No. 461654, attached to the Sogunle Police Division and has approved the punishment of dismissal from the force,” he said.

The police on Tuesday in Ibadan paraded 78 suspects arrested for allegedly planning to wreak havoc in the city over the sack of the leaders of a roads transport group.

The state government had earlier on Monday evening announced the suspension of the Disciplinary Committee of the state’s Parks Management System, which the state government had set up to manage motor parks in the state.

The committee is led by a political enforcer, Mukaila Lamidi, also known as Auxiliary.

The suspension of the committee had caused anxiety in Ibadan where disputes among road transport unions usually led to mayhem.

A member of the disbanded group was reportedly killed during a shootout with the police on Tuesday.

The police made this known while parading 78 persons believed to be members of the dissolved PMS for unlawful possession of firearms, ammunition and other criminal instruments.

Trouble started in the state after the announcement of Auxiliary’s sack through a statement by the governor’s Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi.

On Tuesday, the police besieged Auxiliary’s hotel where they said they recovered arms and ammunition.

The suspended transport union leader was reported to have escaped with some of his boys during the encounter.

While speaking during the parade, the state commissioner of police, Adebowale Williams, told journalists that his men went to Auxiliary’s hostel acting on intelligence of his plans to unleash mayhem.

“Sequel to the above, on Tuesday 30/05/2023 in a strategic intelligence coordinated raid around his location at Diamond Hotel, Alakia-Isebo, under Egbeda LGA, (78) Seventy-Eight suspected hoodlums who had perfected plans to unleash mayhem at the early hours of today at major parts of the Metropolis were arrested in possession of sophisticated firearms, (724) Seven Hundred and Twenty-four Cartridges assorted charms, (33) Thirty-three Mobile Phones, and a cash sum of about (N3,450,000) Three Million Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only.”

The police boss said sophisticated firearms were recovered from the hotel rooms and in the trunk compartment of parked vehicles within the hotel.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspects are one AK-47 Riffle, four (4) AK-47 magazines, Eighty four (84) live AK-47 Ammunitions, Nineteen (19) pump action riffles, one Barreta Pistol, Seven Cut-to-size Gun, one English made Barrel Gun, Seven Hundred and twenty four (724) live cartridges, 25 cutlasses, Seven Jack knives, thirty three(33) mobile phones, one Samsung Laptop, Charms, One Mazda Bus, One Toyota Sienna, Cash sum of Three Million, Four Hundred and fifty thousand naira, (N3,450,000.00).

“Worthy of note is that, though the PMS Chieftain was able to escape with some of his boys during the gun duel with the Police, However a member of the group was neutralized in a gun duel with the Police.

“Recall that the same group was alleged to be responsible for the attack on (14) Fourteen members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) along Agodi axis under Ibadan North-East LGA enroute the venue of yesterday’s Inaugural celebrations.

“Furthermore, in line with Standard Operational Procedure, all recovered items were properly Documented, packaged and recorded for onward forensics analysis and for evidence purposes in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and all other relevant laws.”

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