Why we arrested Nigerian lawmaker Shina Peller – Police

The Lagos State Police Command said it arrested Shina Peller, a member of the House of Representatives and owner of Quilox club, for unlawfully invading a police station.

The police said Mr Peller mobilised 50 thugs to invade the Maroko police station around 11 a.m. Monday to forcefully move three vehicles that were towed from his club for obstructing traffic.

Bala Elkana, the Lagos police spokesperson, said Mr Peller and five thugs were arrested for the invasion.

According to the statement, police officers on traffic control along Ozumba Mbadi Way, Victoria Island, sent a traffic report to Maroko Police Station on Sunday, that the entire road leading to the toll gate was blocked as a result of indiscriminate parking on the major road by customers of Quilox, located on 183 Ozumba Mbadi Way, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Based on the report, the Divisional Police Officer, Maroko informed Mr Peller “on the need to ensure that customers to his club do not block the major road to mitigate the undue hardship the obstruction is causing to other road users,” the police said.

“Police eventually cleared the traffic and the honourable member promised to keep the road free of traffic.”

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Mr Elkana said around 8:30 a.m. on Monday, “traffic was observed to have built up on the road again, and the police traced the cause to the Club again.”

“The situation was so bad that commuters have to resort to trekking, ” he said.

In order to decongest the traffic, officers from Maroko Division were mobilised to the street, “three vehicles parked on the major highway by some customers of the club, which actually caused the obstruction, were removed to the station.”

“The club owner mobilised over 50 thugs around 11am and invaded the Police Station to forcibly move the vehicles away.”

Mr Elkana said that the police officers that were on duty at the station sent a distress message to the state command for reinforcement, and officers from the neighbouring stations were deployed to reinforce the station.

“The Honourable Member and five thugs were arrested while others scaled through the fence and escaped,” Mr Elkana said.

The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, has directed that the case should be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, for in-depth investigation.

The suspects will be charged to court, the police said.