Bizman faults NBA on assault of member, worker’s detention

A 55-year-old businessman, Williams Raymond, has denied assaulting a lawyer, Ajiki John Boluwaji, and illegally detaining one of workers, Lekan Adewole, over the disappearance of his 17-year-old son, Adam, about two weeks ago. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Gwagwalada Branch, in an online report, accused Raymond of sponsoring assailants to beat up the lawyer, when […]

A 55-year-old businessman, Williams Raymond, has denied assaulting a lawyer, Ajiki John Boluwaji, and illegally detaining one of workers, Lekan Adewole, over the disappearance of his 17-year-old son, Adam, about two weeks ago.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Gwagwalada Branch, in an online report, accused Raymond of sponsoring assailants to beat up the lawyer, when he went to serve him a demand letter, over alleged unlawful detention of his client, Adewole.

But Raymond, in a chat with journalists, yesterday, parried the report, claiming that it was Boluwaji who came to his office at Apo Market Junction, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, hauled insults at him when he insisted that his lawyer must go through the demand letter before honoring it or appending his signature.

According to the embattled father, the lawyer who was shabbily dressed, assaulted a shop owner, Itoro Dominic Robert, who came to intervene, when the verbal exchange took a dangerous twist.

Also, he clarified that the lawyer’s phone was not seized, neither was he prevented from calling for help.

He said: “He was not looking like a lawyer. In fact, he wore slippers.

“And what I read in the letter is that I will pay him N100,000 for his charge. I will also pay N100,000 to the boy for the shoes he misplaced.

“I said all these things are false. ‘I will not sign. I will wait for my lawyer to advise me, accordingly.’ He became unruly. He spoke to me as if I was his child. He also called me unprintable names. I do not know his motives.

“I had to leave my office for him. He followed me and was shouting and my neighbours asked me what the problem was. I explained to them.

“I told them that my son was missing. The police officers took those people working for me for questioning, because I left the boy with them.

“Upon writing their statements that night, they were detained not on my order but at the discretion of the police officer.

“After interrogation, the police officers told me that my son still has a contact with Adewole, the claimant.

“I have searched for him everywhere. And he is just 17 years old. My son did not display any bad behaviour. He has never slept outside before. He left after the Sallah.

“The person who assaulted the lawyer has been detained. He was a passerby. I do not even know his name. I do not know why he is trying to rope me into the matter.”