An official of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) is “on the run” after physically assaulting a party-goer, Quam Adelakun, at an event in Lagos Island, the police have said.
Morufu Okoya, the LNSC official, allegedly used his baton to repeatedly hit the face of Mr Adelakun, 27, causing one of his eyes to pop out of its socket.
The incident happened on Sunday during an event hosted by a Lagos island resident popularly known as LAGO.
The event host had reportedly invited LNSC officials to provide security at the venue at Bamgbose Street, Lagos Island.
It was gathered that Mr Adelakun had gone to the event to see his father, who is a friend of the host.
According to a witness, Gideon Orinya, the LNSC officials barred Mr Adelakun from entering the venue, resulting in a heated argument before Mr Okoya’s arrival.
“During the argument, Mr Okoya used his baton on the victim multiple times, causing his left eye to pop out of its socket,” said Mr Orinya.
“While still trying to fight back, the victim picked a bottle but he was too destabilised to use it because blood was already gushing out of his left eye.”
Mr Orinya added that Mr Adelakun was immediately taken to a nearby chemist but he was rejected before they proceeded to the Lagos Island General Hospital where he is currently receiving treatment.
He said the incident has been reported to the Adeniji Police Station.
Speaking on the incident, the general manager of LNSC, Ifalade Oyekan, told PREMIUM TIMES that the agency never assigned its officials to the event.
“We didn’t post anybody to that party, we were not even aware of the party not until the incident,” he said.
“Officials know their timetable and daily routine, during the weekends, those on duty are expected to secure religious centres, while they replicate the same for school during school hours.
“I never minuted this particular event and the head of that division also confirmed to me that it was not an official assignment.”
He added that the official has been summoned to report to the headquarters by 11 a.m. on Wednesday before he is handed over to the police for further investigation.
When contacted, the police officer in charge of the case at Adeniji Police Station, Ibrahim Abdulazeez, said the LNSC officer is “still on the run.”
“But we are now working with the management who have promised to provide the suspect as soon as they can,” he said.
The Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps (LNSC) is a uniformed security agency established by a law of the Lagos State House of Assembly in 2016 to assist the police and other security agencies to maintain law and order in the state.
They operate in all the 57 LGA/LCDA in Lagos and their officers are indigenous locals from the various LGA/LCDA where they operate.
