The police in Meiran, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, have detained Christiana Ajani, a landlady, and Esther Ajani, one of her children, for refusing to cut down the coconut tree in front of her house.

Iyanuoluwa Ajani, Christiana’s daughter, told FIJ that the landlady was first arrested on the orders of Adeleye Oyebade, a retired Deputy Inspector of Police (DIG), on May 27.

According to Iyanuoluwa, the police, while making the arrest, accused Christiana of assaulting a security guard working at Ladaso Nursery and Primary School in Meiran.

Owned by Oyebade, the school is said to be beside Christiana’s house.

Iyanuoluwa told FIJ that Oyebade’s son had asked her mother to cut down the over 20-year-old tree early last week, saying it was ‘disturbing his father’s school’.

“One week ago, the son of the owner of Ladaso Nursery and Primary School came to meet my mum to cut off the tree as it was too tall,” Iyanuoluwa said.

“In response, my mum told him that they would have to jointly fund the expenses of cutting down the tree as she was a widow who just lost her husband

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“There is also a church inside our compound. While my mum was informing the pastor who runs the church about the tree issue, the school’s security guard, a guy who goes by the name Blessing, overheard the conversation and went to inform the school authorities.

“The school’s coordinator then sent for my mom and while they were interacting, he said something unpleasant. This angered my mum and in response, she told him she won’t be cutting down the tree again. Since then Blessing has been harassing her.”

Iyanuoluwa said Blessing beat Christiana and pushed her to the ground on Wednesday, threatening to repeat the same act on Thursday.

She also added that Blessing and his colleagues threw stones into Christiana’s compound on Thursday, alleging that Christiana had injured him that same day.

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“When we went to report at the station, they told us that Blessing had been there earlier to file a complaint, and they would have to investigate my mum,” Iyanuoluwa said.

“While we were there, words got to us that my mom’s shop, which is situated in the same compound, was being vandalised. So, the police followed us back to the place.

“When we got there, they saw that the place had indeed been vandalised, but they did not do anything. Then they invited her to report to the station on Friday morning. When she went on Friday, they detained her until Sunday evening. She reported there on Monday with two of my siblings, but they detained Esther, my 24-year-old younger sister, and let my mum go.”

According to Iyanuoluwa, Esther is still in detention till date.

When FIJ called Toyosi Shokunbi, Division Police Officer (DPO) of the station, she told FIJ she “was not acting on Oyebade’s instruction”, and could not speak to the press.

When FIJ spoke with Benjamin Hundeyin, Lagos Police spokesman, he said, “I spoke with the DPO on Sunday, she is a senior officer, so she understands the implications of not doing the right thing. I don’t control her station; she is in charge there.”