The. Lagos State Police Command has dismissed claims by a Kano senatorial aspirant, Mallam Hcmisu Magaji, that he was attacked by a mob at Toyin Street, Ikeja.

Magaji at a briefing at the weekend by the Arewa Community, alleged he was violently attacked by a mob of about seven youths from a particular ethnic group, beaten to unconsciousness and left for death.

The group through the State Secretary, Musa Saleh, had condemned what it termed resort to violence by youths suspected to be members of a particular political party, calling on the police to bring the culprits to justice.

“Ahead of preparations for the campaigns toward the 2023 General Elections, the Arewa community condemns outrightly the resort to violence of some youths suspected to be members of a particular political party in Lagos State and especially the attack on Honourable Mallam Hamisu Magaji, a member of the Arewa Community in Lagos.

“He is presently receiving treatment at the Nigeria Police Medical Centre, Area F Command and other various health centers in Ikeja Local Government.

“We advised all members of Arewa Community in APC to remain calm, not to take the law into their hands, go about their normal business and report any such acts of violence to the appropriate Police authorities with immediate effect,” Saleh said.

Asked how they arrived at the conclusion that the youths were from a particular ethnic group, Saleh initially claimed some suspects were arrested by the police but later backtracked and said Magaji should speak for himself since he was present at the press conference.

The same question was put to Magaji but he said it was mere allegation that they wanted the police to unravel.

The politician who claimed he was able to make video recordings of the assault on him with his mobile phones, however, could not show reporters footage of the alleged mob action.

He also could not substantiate his claims that those who attacked him belonged to the party he mentioned, nor could he show any marks of violence, injuries sustained from the alleged mob attack.

When contacted to ascertain if such an incident occurred in Lagos, the Command refuted it, stating that Magaji had an issue with the mother of his children penultimate weekend at Toyin Street.

Police spokesman, SP Benjamin Hundeyin said the man went to Toyin Street with two soldiers in a bid to take his four children from their mother but was resisted.

Hundeyin said: “So I made enquiry and found out that the man had a marriage with someone and has four children who are in the woman’s custody.

“He is trying to take custody of the children. He went with two soldiers to that place in Ikeja and was causing trouble. People around called the police. The police got there and took them to the station including the soldiers.

“While the division was investigating, directive came from State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for the case to be transferred there. When the case got there Magaji refused to write statement. His lawyer came for his bail and so, he was given another date to come but he never showed up.

“That is the report we have on Mallam Hcmisu Magaji. We do not have any case of mob attack, neither was he taken to police hospital unconscious,” he added.(The Nation)

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