The Lagos State Ministry of Justice has taken over investigation into the case of a car burnt on the premises of the Vehicle Inspection Service.

It was learnt that the Lagos State Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, ordered that all the parties involved in the case be invited to state their sides of the story.

It was learnt that a report of the case, which would be prepared by the Citizens Rights Department, was expected to be forwarded to the ministry for appropriate action.

Our correspondent had reported that a 42-year-old painter, Oluwadamilare Afolarin, had been flagged down by the VIS operatives in the Ilaje, Ajah area.

His car was said to have been impounded over allegation that the screen was cracked and was asked to pay a fine of N80,000.00 for the offence, among others.

While the victim was about paying the bill after two weeks, he was reportedly called by one Akeem, who asked him to proceed to the Ojodu Berger office of the agency.

He was said to have been informed that the vehicle was burnt on the VIS premises and offered a compensation of N200,000.00.

Akeem was reported to have taken Afolarin to the director’s office at Alausa, where the director, Gbolahan Toriola, allegedly assaulted the victim and ordered that his shoes and phone be seized.

The director allegedly accused the motorist of sneaking into the VIS premises and setting fire to the vehicle, adding that the agency saw footprints of his shoes at the scene.

Afolarin was said to have been locked up in the Ogombo Police Division for three days after which he was coerced to sign an undertaking not to report the incident on the social media or inform the press.

The Ministry of Transport had issued a statement, insisting that the victim burnt the car and that his footprints were seen at the scene of the incident.

The statement, issued by a Director at the Public Affairs Ministry, Biola Fagunwa, noted that the victim’s family, while pleading for his release from detention, stated that he was mentally unstable.

The family, however, disproved the claim.

Our correspondent learnt that the state Attorney General and Commissioner for justice had asked for an investigation into the incident.

The Public Relations Officer, Citizens Rights Department, Ministry of Justice, Ope Akunteyan, confirmed the development to our correspondent on Friday.

She said, “When the attorney general heard about the matter, he asked our department to investigate the incident and come out with a report. When the report is then submitted, which will be this week, the ministry will take a decision about the case.”

A top official in the department, who spoke with our correspondent, said a forensic test was necessary to determine what truly happened to the vehicle.

The motorist, Afolarin, said he had yet to be contacted by the department as of Sunday.

 

Source: Punchng.com

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