A German national, Toni Brunner, has petitioned the
Inspector-General of Police (IG), Muhammed Adamu, for his alleged illegal
detention by men of the Edo State Police Command on the orders of Mr.
Olanrewaju Adeleke of Peculiar Ultimate Concern Limited.
Adeleke of Peculiar Ultimate Concern is the main
contractor working at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin-city in preparation
for the National Sports Festival, while Brunner's Sports-Life Services, a
Germany-based company is the subcontractor.
In the petition which was made available to
journalists in Benin-city, counsel to Brunner, J. O. Ehianbhi and Associates,
alleged that their client was contracted by Adeleke to fix the tracks at the
stadium in preparation for the National Sports Festival at an agreed amount, which
he diligently performed until he observed that the mixing of cement on the
floor of the track is slowing the pace of work.
Brunner's counsel said in the process, equipment
for laying the tracks broke down and he has to seek replacement from Germany
after all attempt to fix it failed.
He said it was on these bases that Brunner was
invited by Adeleke to discuss the progress of the job and payment, and in the
course of the discussion, there was a disagreement between his client and
Adeleke which prompted Adeleke to order the police officer attached to him to
arrest Brunner, whom he described as a fraudster.
According to him, "Our client was arrested and
taken to the state CID on the allegation that he is a fraudster. He was
humiliated by the police and locked up at there for a night and subjected to dehumanising
condition. Our client is a hypertensive and diabetic patient.
"He was eventually released the next day and
he informed the German Embassy of his ordeal in the hands of security personnel
at the state CID in Benin-city.
"After his release, the equipment he ordered
from Germany arrived in Nigeria and laying of the tracks continued, but Adeleke
has refused to pay our client his balance sum of N6 million, claiming that he
was yet to be paid by the Edo State Government and has been going about defaming
our client’s character, calling him a fraudster and a cheat."
Counsel to the petitioner also stated that his
client is pained because of the embarrassment caused him and the humiliation he
suffered as a result of the contract, and pleaded with relevant authorities to
come to his aid.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations
Officer, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, said he was not aware of such case, and promised
to investigate and get back to THISDAY.
Nwabuzor, however, noted that the issue of
detention cannot arise except there was a criminal issue in the contract, and
advised the parties to seek redress in the court of law.
He said: "A contract between two persons is
supposed to be a social contract and so the police ought not to be involved
except there is a criminal element in the contract."
Reacting to the allegation, Adeleke disclosed that
all the contract sum of N26 million as agreed between him and Brunner had been
paid, adding that he even paid him N27.4 million, N1.4 million above what was
agreed.
He said what angered him was when Brunner, after
receiving his money, came back and demanded additional N6 million, that was
when he invited the police to intervene.
Adeleke, who spoke on phone, noted that it was when Brunner
became persistent that he had to take the matter to the state Police CID, which
invited him, adding that whatever happened between Brunner and the police does
not concern him as he merely reported the matter to the police.
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