A naval officer, Kayode Petinrin, has been accused of assaulting a Lagos motorist, identified simply as Sola, and damaging his car while trying to manoeuvre on the Bus Rapid Transit lane in the CMS area of Lagos State.
It was gathered that when Sola complained about his damaged car, the officer allegedly beat him up.
Speaking with PUNCH, victim said that Kayode, son of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Oluseyi Petinrin, a retired Air Chief Marshal, assaulted him because he challenged him (Kayode) for damaging his new vehicle.
Sola lamented that he was planning to take the car to the palace of the Elegushi for royal blessing when the incident happened on Tuesday.
He said, “I was driving along CMS and there was traffic; everybody was driving orderly, but he (Kayode) just wanted to come in front of me and I had already passed where he could enter from.
“So, he tried to squeeze his way in and hit my car. I got out of my car to see the damage and I challenged him that what he did was wrong. But he just came out and told me to get back into my car.
“I reported him to a policeman around the area, and when the man challenged him, he showed the man his ID card. I told him that if he’s a naval officer, that did not give him the right to hit my car.
“Then he started punching me. I have a deep cut on my lips. My hand was bruised, and I was seriously injured in the attack.”
Sola said he reported the case at the Maroko Police Station, adding that the DPO called the military police to follow him to Kayode’s house.
He, however, said some Air Force officers guarding the house threatened to shoot if they got closer to the gate.
“I followed him all the way from CMS to know where he lives. I then called the palace to tell them what happened. That was when kabiyesi sent two men to meet me.
“On getting there, they said I should take the legal route by reporting at the nearest police station.
“We went to Maroko Police Station; the DPO, Ganiu Raji, called the military police to inform them what the military man did.
“When we got to his house, two military men came out and stopped us before we could get closer. They said they were going to shoot us. The military guys said the house belonged to a former general, and we had no right to come there.
“The most annoying thing is that I was driving the car to the palace so that they could pray for me. It’s a new car; a BMW series,” he added.
The spokesperson for the Navy, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, revealed that Kayode was recently suspended, while his rank was reduced.
Ayo-Vaughan said, “This Petinrin (Kayode) was just disciplined. In fact, his rank was reduced because of a similar issue. He is one of the bad eggs that we are managing and that is because he is our son and brother.
“I will take it up; I will call the chief staff officer so that our naval police can invite him. I will send what you have sent to me to them so as to follow up from there.”
The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident said the police did not go to the house to avert a face-off.
Hundeyin said, “The DPO informed the military police; but it turned out that the Air Force personnel there threatened to shoot the military police if they did not leave that place immediately. The military police had to withdraw.”
He said the property belonged to the Air Force, adding that efforts were being made to officially inform the Air Force authorities about the case for further action.
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