The police in Lagos have accused the owner of Quilox Nightclub, Shina Peller, of invading Maroko police station with thugs.
According to a statement Monday afternoon by Bala Elkana, the police spokesperson, Mr Peller mobilised 50 thugs to invade the station around 11amto forcefully moved three vehicles that were towed from his club for causing traffic at Ozumba Mbadiwe, a major road in Victoria Island.
The police said Mr Peller and five thugs were arrested during the invasion.
The lawmaker representing lseyin/ltesiwaju/ Kajola/lwajowa federal constituency in Oyo State was arrested and detained after he had gone to secure the release of his customers, his colleague in the House of Representatives, Akin Alabi said.
So founder of Quilox and House of Representatives member, @ShinaPeller went to bail his customers that were illegally arrested… then the Police at Maroko police station detained him as well. Police brutality knows no status.
— Oloye Akin Alabi (@akinalabi) December 23, 2019
You arrest those parked on the road. Someone goes to bail the people arrested. You arrest the person to. That summarizes why @ShinaPeller was arrested.
— Oloye Akin Alabi (@akinalabi) December 23, 2019
Mr Peller had informed the Lagos State government traffic officials prior to the opening of Quilox Nightclub’s annual 36-hour non-stop show, Kola Popoola, the lawmaker’s secretary said in a statement Monday.
But according to the police, Mr Peller was approached by the Divisional Police Officer of Maroko on the need to ensure that his customers do not block the road, to mitigate the undue hardship the obstruction is causing to other road users.
“Police eventually cleared the traffic and the honourable member promised to keep the road free of traffic,” Mr Elkana, a deputy superintendent of police, said.
“On 23rd December, 2019 at about 8.30 a.m., traffic was observed to have built up on the road again. Police traced the cause to the club again. The club activities mostly last up to 9 a.m. from night and affecting the free flow of traffic in the area.
“The situation was so bad that commuters have to resort to trekking. Police team from Maroko Division led by the Divisional Police Officer, mobilised to the street and after much efforts, got the traffic flowing again. Three vehicles parked on the major highway by some customers of the club, which actually caused the obstruction, were removed to the Station.
“The club owner mobilised over 50 thugs around 11 a.m. and invaded the Police Station to forcibly move the vehicles away.”
The police said officers at the station immediately sent a distress message to the police headquarters calling for reinforcement.
“Police teams from neighbouring Divisions and Area J Command, led by the Area Commander were deployed to reinforce the Station.
“The Honourable Member and five thugs were arrested while others scaled through the fence and escaped.”
Hakeem Odumosu, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, has ordered the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, for in-depth investigation, the statement said.
“The suspects will be charged to court. Owners of clubhouses in Lagos State are warned to provide parking spaces for their customers within their premises to stop indiscriminate parking on the road.
“The good people of Lagos State have the right to enjoy free flow of traffic which informed the decision of the Command to declare a state of emergency in traffic. The slogan remains ‘Traffic must flow’ in Lagos State.”
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