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By Emmanuel Adeleke
Gospel singer and founder, Fresh FM, Yinka Ayefele, has narrated how he was assaulted by an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Denfence Corps (NSCDC) after a show at Iloro Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The singer explained his ordeal in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation Yoruba service.
According to Ayefele, after the show, he settled all the security operatives on ground, including the area boys, adding that he was about leaving the venue, when he was stopped at the gate to settle an Amotekun operative.
“Whenever I am coming down from the stage, I do ask for the leader of each team and I will hand over the money to them.
“After the show like that, I used to settle all the security operatives and the area boys at the venue, but the Amotekun and the NSCDC operatives that were on ground were far away.
“When I got to the gate, I saw an Amotekun officer, I deliberately stopped to give him some money. As I was about to release the money to him, suddenly, the NSCDC officer came, deeped his hand into the car, and attempted snatching the money from me.
“I was like, what is the meaning of that? As I was challenging him on that, he just punched me on my lips. Immediately, I directed my people not to allow him go. We have to trace his office. He suddenly cocked the gun, stood in front of the car and started threatening everyone with the gun.
“I instructed my people to hold on till their vehicle will leave the venue, we will follow them to know their office. As we were following them, their driver turned into the bush and the officer jumped off the vehicle and immediately, the rest stopped to question us on why we were following them.
“Thereafter, we went to Ado-Ekiti because the police officer sitting with me saw how my mouth was bleeding, he advised me to go to the hospital.
“I was told to call their boss to inform him but I don’t have his contact. I later called the founder of the Corps, Chief Adeleye, I explained to him and he felt so bad and promised to act on it,” he said.
Ayefele further explained that their commandant in Ekiti came to him the following day to apologise, stressing that he has never been assaulted since he started his work.
“I have never been beaten since I started this work. I just decided to let go because I don’t want people to start mentioning my name again.
“I have already told my lawyer about it, in case anything comes up later. We have the video evidence of the incident,” Ayefele added
Meanwhile, the NSCDC Director of Public Relations, Olusola Odumosu, in a statement said the attention of the management of the Corps has been drawn to the news circulating in the media on a case of alleged physical assault on Ayefele by its operative.
Odumosu noted that the Commandant-General has ordered that all concerned officers be identified and summoned immediately to the National Headquarters for necessary disciplinary action.
“He has directed the Ekiti State Commandant to without delay commence full scale investigation into the incident to establish the veracity of the allegation and the level of involvement and culpability of all the officers fingered in the matter,” he added.