Fourteen days after Nollywood actress, Ufuoma Ejenabor, was allegedly assaulted by aides of the Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, the police on Thursday said the matter was still being investigated.
However, sources within the state police command hinted us that there was a subtle decision by the state’s police hierarchy to sweep the matter under the carpet.
But the deputy spokesman of the state police command, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, said there was no such plan, insisting that the matter was being investigated.
Jinadu said, “The truth is that on the day (October 29), she went to Victoria Island police division and reported the matter. She made her statement and thereafter left.
“The police at the station told her to report back to the station, but since she reported the case, she has not reported back. This is a major reason why the case is being delayed. But make no mistake, there is nothing like pressure on us; we are investigating the case.”
The actress, however, told us that she was prepared to take her case to court. “We are gathering evidences for court. And I am aware that some of my colleagues are planning for a series of protest,” she said.
Ejenabor, who showed our correspondent two of her broken nails said to have been caused by Ikuforiji’s men, also alleged that her attackers took away her gold necklace, Guicci wrist watch, Ipod, Blackberry Bold and Channels sunglasses and case.
She also alleged that her vehicle, a Nissan Xterra Jeep with registration number UC 189 KJA, was damaged by the speaker’s security aides, adding that it would require about N595, 000 to repair the vehicle.
“My Apple Macbook Laptop fell during the ransacking of my car and the screen and the disc compartment were destroyed. My Louis Vuitton bag was also damaged, while my wedding band was broken,” Ejenabor said.
The actress said she left her residence in Lekki and was on her way to Gbagada for a discussion on a film she was about to shoot when she met a traffic snarl on Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island.
She said,“I think it was about 3pm and I was listening to Banky W on the car stereo. Suddenly, I noticed that a black Toyota Hilux truck, which has ESCORT as its registration number squeezed its way on my right side. Suddenly my Jeep was hit violently, damaging the right fender. To my utter shock, the driver did not stop.
“I drove after him and when eventually I caught up with him, I told him that he had hit my Jeep. He insulted me, calling me Ashawo (prostitute), witch and other unprintable names. He even asked me who gave me the car. I got angry and decided to follow him to wherever he was going. I later discovered that there were other vehicles.
“I followed them all the same and used my camera phone to record their movement. Immediately they realised that I was recording them, they stopped and alighted from their vehicles. They moved to my car and banged on it, ordering me to open the door. I was afraid that they might shoot me with the guns they were brandishing, so, I unlocked the door.
“When I opened the door, the men dragged me out of the car and held my blouse. The way they held the blouse, I was almost naked and I protested because as far as I was concerned, they were the ones who hit my car.
“Suddenly one slim officer came and gave me a big punch on my hand. It was so painful that I had to release the phone. I later noticed that in the struggle, two of my nail extensions were forced out. It caused a slit in the mid section of the nails, it was painful.”
Ejenabor said the convoy stopped in front of Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, adding that Ikuforiji ‘s aides wanted to drag her to the command.
She said in the midst of the confusion, a senior police officer came out of the command to find out what the problem was.
Ejenabor said,“It was DCP Lateed Junaid. He told me to open my car door and that nothing evil would happen to me. I obliged and while he was trying to get the fact of what happened, one of the men in the convoy told him, ‘If she wants to sleep here she can, but the Lagos House of Assembly Speaker has an important event to attend. We are his security details.’”
The numbers of vehicles that were in the convoy, according to Ejenabor are, BK 902 EPE; LAHA 100; LAHA 103; DH 519 JJJ, ESCORT; PILOT 1, ES651 KRD, TB 123 AAA; TU 08 KJA, and EM 953 SMK.
“I am still on medication. My lawyer had written the speaker but we are yet to get his reply,” she said.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mr. Lare Odubote, had on Monday told our correspondent that Ejenabor constituted herself into a nuisance to the speaker’s convoy.
“But we are preparing a reply to her letter. It is not true that we ignored it,” he had said, adding that he would send a more detailed response to the actress’ allegations to our correspondent later.
But when reminded of his earlier promise to send a more detailed response on Thursday, Odubote did not respond to our correspondent’s text as at the time the paper went to bed.
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