The candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for the Ibadan North West/South West Federal constituency, Rotimi Ajanaku, has faulted the police arrest despite an order by an Oyo State High Court restraining the police from arresting him.
Ajanaku, an Ibadan politician and business mogul was detained for five hours at the Apata, Ibadan Area Command of the Nigerian Police, but was later released on Thursday.
The incumbent member representing the constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon Saheed Akinade Fijabi of the All Progressive Congress (APC), had levelled an allegation of an assassination attempt against Ajanaku which led to his arrest last month.
In a motion exparte obtained by Ajanaku with suit no: M/65/2019 at the State High Court to stop his arrest a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune, urged the court to restrain the police from further steps.
While at the Apata Area Command of the Nigerian Police, another set of policemen arrived at about 4:30 pm with instruction to take Ajanaku to the State Criminal Investigative Department, Iyaganku command, in Ibadan.
Ajanaku, while addressing journalists on the premises of the Apata Area Command, described his arrest as impunity of the highest order and a rape on the rule of law, while urging his supporters to remain calm.
“Despite all my effort to explain to the police, I was not allowed to leave their premises. I showed to them the court order but they were adamant. I do not know anything about the issue and that was why I was released the other time I was arrested.”
After a series of conversation between Ajanaku’s lawyer and the police and several phone calls by the officers of the Apata Area Command, Ajanaku was released at about 6:46 pm.
Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune immediately after his release, Ajanaku said: “It was the Area Commander who put a call through to the Commissioner of Police and advised that the court order must be obeyed and I think that was why I was alllowed to go.”
