Olufumilayo Eriolowa, age 33, was detained at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre for allegedly assaulting a police officer, Olufowobi Nureni, in the Ogombo area of Lagos State. She has been cleared of all charges.
Eriolowa was released by Magistrate M. O. Alao of the Magistrates’ Court in Eti-Osa, Lagos, after the case was dismissed.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed in a tweet that was remanded for allegedly assaulting a police officer within the state.
The posting stated, “Yesterday, somewhere in Ogombo, she accosted a police officer. She was arraigned today and remanded to the Kirikiri correctional facility until June 6, when the matter returns to court.”
The hairdresser was arraigned before Magistrate M. O. Alao on two counts bordering assault and resisting arrest at the Magistrate Court of Lagos, Eti-Osa.
During the defendant’s arraignment, the police prosecutor, Jacob Samuel, requested that she be held in police custody.
Alao granted the request and ordered that Eriolowa be held in police detention for 21 days pending the conclusion of the police investigation.
The charges read, in part, “That you, Olufumilayo Erioluwa, on May 14, 2023, around 9 p.m., in Ajah, Eti-Osa, in the Lagos Magistrate District, committed a felony with a serious assault on one Olufowobi Nureni, an Inspector, and thereby violated Section 174 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
“That you, Olufumilayo Erioluwa, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned Magisterial District, assaulted, resisted, obstructed and unlawfully prevented one Olufowobi Nureni, an Inspector attach to the Ogombo Divisional Headquarters, in the course of executing his lawful and official duty and thereby committed an offence punishable Under Section 174 (b) (c) and (e) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.”
However, Eriolowa pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the case was postponed until June 6, 2023.
In the interim, rights activist Inibehe Effiong and his team assumed responsibility for the Eriolowa case.
According to Effiong, the police were unable to present a witness or the complainant in court, and the Kirikiri Correctional Facility was also unable to produce Eriolowa.
He stated, “When the case was heard for the second time on June 6, my team and I were able to secure parole for her. She was granted bond in the amount of N100,000 with two equal sureties.”
When the case was dismissed, Effiong stated that they were in the process of refining her parole conditions.
He stated, “The complainant, Olufowobi Nureni, who claimed he was accosted, did not appear in court on any of the occasions the case was before the judge. The matter was postponed for a third time until June 27, 2023, because the Kirikiri Correctional Centre did not produce her in court.
“However, we had taken measures to perfect the bail prior to the dismissal of the charge.” The police were unable to produce any evidence, witnesses, or a complainant in court, so we argued that the case be dismissed, and the magistrate agreed with us and did what the law required. On June 27, 2023, she is released from custody and all charges against her have been dismissed.”
