Two fake soldiers have been arrested by the
police for impersonating men of the Nigerian
Army and allegedly beating up a lawyer, Paul
Onyilo, and his client, Solomon Chima.
One Gilbert had reportedly led the suspects
Adebayo Olanrewaju, Joseph Daniel and their
fleeing accomplice, who was in a Nigerian Navy
uniform, to a restaurant at Sharp Corner,
Agbado, Ogun State, where the victims were
holding a meeting.
Punch Metro learnt that Chima had bought some
gallons of paint worth about N60,000 from
Gilbert sometime in October 2016, owing the
trader N1,000 balance.
Chima, however, declined to pay the balance
after the person who painted the apartment, told
him that Gilbert did not deliver all the paint.
Gilbert was said to have refuted the claim.
It was learnt that the lawyer, Chima and his wife
were in the restaurant at about 9pm on Sunday
for a meeting on a landed property when Gilbert
and the suspects in military camouflage stormed
the facility and descended on Chima.
The lawyer said his attempt to pacify the men
was met with stiff resistance and aggression as
they rained blows on him.
He said, “I was at the restaurant with my client
and his wife to discuss a deal. We were waiting
for someone when he received a call from a man
(Gilbert), asking him where he was.
“A few minutes after, another person called him,
threatening that they would catch him wherever
he was. He was frightened and I asked him what
happened. He explained to me that he was
owing Gilbert N1,000. He said Gilbert was also
supposed to give him three tins of paint. I
decided to alert the Agbado Police Station to the
imminent violence.
“The moment I finished sending the distress call,
Gilbert and three other men – two in army
uniform and one dressed in Nigerian Navy
uniform – barged into the restaurant. Gilbert
ordered them to beat Solomon (Chima). I tried
to calm them. They beat me up, dragged me on
the floor, tore my shirt and poured alcohol on my
head.”
A Punch correspondent was told that operatives
from the station, led by the Divisional Police
Officer, CSP Shittu Abioye, raced to the scene
and arrested Gilbert and the fake soldiers at a
nearby bar, where they had fled to. But, the
fourth suspect, identified only as Charles,
escaped.
It was gathered that several uniforms and a
mask, among others, were recovered from
Olanrewaju’s residence by the police.
Thirty-year-old Olanrewaju, an indigene of
Abeokuta, Ogun State, who said he was
dismissed from the Nigerian Army in 2013,
denied partaking in the assault.
He said, “I was at Abule Egba (Lagos State) on
Sunday, when Joseph (Daniel) called me on the
telephone. He said he wanted to visit his in-law
and that I should follow him. As we got there,
the in-law (Gilbert) received a call and he
exchanged words with the person. He told us
that a man he supplied paint to was owing him
N1,000 and insulting him.
“We asked him to let us go and caution the
man. On getting to his house, we didn’t meet
him. We went to the restaurant. Charles started
beating the lawyer and I cautioned him. I took
the two parties to another bar to settle the
matter. I have never committed any crime with
my uniform. I use the mask to prevent cold
when I ride a motorcycle.”
Daniel, who hails from Enugu State, stated that
he got the uniform from Olanrewaju, adding that
Charles was a naval officer.
“I wore the uniform to avoid being harassed by
security agents. I regretted my action. It was
Charles that beat them,” he said.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations, ASP
Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the arrest,
said the case would be transferred to the State
Criminal Investigation and Intelligence
Department for further investigation and
prosecution.