Arogundade denies ordering assault on Uzoma http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/31410/43/#akocomment60532
Written by INNOCENT ANABA
Thursday, 19 March 2009












REAR-ADMIRAL Harry Arogundade yesterday told a Lagos High Court handling the suit filed by Miss Uzoma Okere and Mr. Abdulahi Abdulazeez who were allegedly assaulted by six naval ratings, that he did not order the men to beat or harass the applicants. He added that Uzoma's father apologised to him when he heard about the matter.

Arogundade, in one of the six counter-affidavits by one Nureni Akinyemi, a litigation clerk in Bolaji Ayorinde Chambers, the defence counsel in the matter, averred: “I did not order, encourage, direct or instruct the second respondent to beat, hit, harass, torture, humiliate and or traumatise the applicants. It is untrue for the applicants to say that they lost several valuables or sustained injuries arising from the incidence.”

Uzoma and Abdulazeez are demanding N100 million as damages against Arogundade, unknown Naval ratings and the Nigerian Navy.

Arogundade averred further in the affidavit that during his discussion with Uzoma’s father, he realised that Colonel Okere was his senior at the Military School, Zaria. He then related to Col. Okere what the daughter had just told him. Okere profusely apologised to him and also begged him to tell his men to release her.”

He said he was in his vehicle reading newspapers hence did not witness the alleged beating and harassment of the applicants.

and that when Uzoma came to his office to lodge a complaint, he did everything to calm her down.

Arogundade stated that he did not at any time order or encouraged the Naval rating to either beat or torture the applicants and that it was not true that the applicants lost several valuables or sustain injuries as a result of the incident.

Counsel to the 1st and 3rd respondents, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), had earlier told the court that it would be very clear from the counter affidavits that there are conflictions in the facts presented before the court and that the suit ought not to have been filed under fundamental human rights procedures.

Ayorinde’s prayed the court to order for oral evidence in the proceedings, but was turned down by Justice Opeyemi Oke, who said it was not yet time to make such order.

Counsel to the respondents also told the court that he was not served with a copy of the video clips attached as exhibit to the originating summons.

But Omotola Rotimi, Director of the Office of Public Defender (OPD) told the court that she needed time to study the respondent’s counter affidavits.

On the issue of video clips marked as exhibit, Omotola explained that copies have been made for the respondents as well as for the court.

At this stage, Justice Opeyemi Oke urged both parties to file all their processes and serve same before the next adjourned date and subsequently adjourned the matter till April 27 for hearing of the originating summons.