Following SaharaReporters' exposure of the assault on an Abuja resident, Mr. Edwin Pius by Sikiru Abdulkadir Olajide, a senior lawyer at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Olajide has allegedly deployed policemen to harass and intimidate Edwin, the victim. 

Despite being the victim, Edwin has been forced into hiding with his family as policemen, led by one Officer Innocent, have been tracking his whereabouts. 

The Divisional Police Officer of Apo station reportedly told Edwin that his hands were tied and that he was acting under instructions from above, implying that the police commissioner, Benneth Igweh, was behind the harassment. 

The development comes after SaharaReporters' initial report on July 5, where Edwin cried out for help after being assaulted by Olajide during a security check at Centage Estate in Abuja. 

Olajide has been trying to pressure SaharaReporters to pull down the report.

The incident occurred on July 2, 2024, when a security guard at the estate gate requested to search Mr. Edwin' car boot as part of routine security measures, considering the prevailing security situation in the federal capital territory.

Mr. Olajide, who was reportedly involved in the altercation, now deployed police officers from the Apo Division to arrest and charge Mr. Edwin to court for alleged "obstruction from coming out of his house."

It was reported that Edwin, who was then in hospital bed receiving treatment over some medical challenges he had, told SaharaReporters on Friday that the Investigation Police Officer (IPO), one Inspector Hajara Eloyi, had called him in the morning to come to the station for arraignment, claiming that the lawyer asked them to charge him to court for obstructing him from coming out of his house.

Noting that despite the video evidence of Olajide's assault on him which the police are currently in possession of, the lawyer has been using the name of the FCT Police Commissioner, Mr Benneth Igweh, who he claimed is his friend to threaten him, vowing to use the police to send him to prison.

A video clip of the incident at the estate gate where Edwin intervened as the estate security secretary to persuade Olajide from harassing the estate security guards seen by SaharaReporters, showed the lawyer slapping and pushing him. 

The lawyer was also seen in the video bragging that he was a landlord at the estate and owner of three houses, and therefore, could not comply with the estate security rules.

When SaharaReporters contacted him, he did not deny the assault on the estate security secretary but instead stated that something provoked it. But when asked what provoked it, he had said he would rather reserve it until he got to court.

When SaharaReporters reached out to Edwin, he lamented that he had been in hiding after SaharaReporters published the report.

He said: "On Saturday when I took my family to get buy something outside, I got a call that the lawyer Olajide came to the estate, accompanied by a Hilux van with siren and some men inside, stopped over in front of my house, and left. 

"Subsequently, an unidentified number has been calling my phone. My phone truecaller identified the number as Officer Innocent. I have also tried to return the call but no one was picking the calls. Instead when I dropped few minutes later the number would start calling my phone.

"Currently I'm hiding because I am afraid for my life and the safety of my family. As I speak I don't know Olajide's intention and the people with him. Nigeria is now a jungle where the rules and laws no longer count. Once you have money and have connection with the police and military you can do anything and get away with it. It doesn't matter who is right or wrong."

According to Edwin, the estate leadership has made every efforts to mediate and end the unprovoked harassment, all to no avail.