Hours after she allegedly assaulted a male traffic warden at the Victoria Island area of Lagos, the Lagos State Police Command today insisted that the female songbird and current Forte Oil Ambassador, Tiwa Savage, had made her apology in a written statement. The police was reacting to recent claims from some quarters that Savage had not assaulted the police officer, rather she was a victim of police brutality.
Savage had on Saturday allegedly beat traffic light at Victoria Island and when confronted by some traffic wardens, she was said to have sped off. Eyewitness account said the police gave chase and when they caught up with her at Eko Hotel and Suites premises, she was said to have assaulted the police officer, prompting them to arrest her.
Sources claimed the policemen had tried to extort her like they allegedly do other motorists along that axis and when she balked, they had instigated trump up charges against her. The police however said they were within their rights to arrest her because she broke a cardinal traffic rule and also assaulted an officer who took her up on that.
To back their claims, the police said the musician had written an apology letter in her own handwriting apologising to the officer she manhandled at the Victoria Island Police Division, before she was released by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Adegoke Fayoade.
Speaking to me, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, a deputy superintendent of police, expressed displeasure at the recent claims making the rounds which attempted to exonerate the singer.
Braide said, "When she beat the traffic light, she zoomed into Eko Hotel and Suites and when our men approached her, she asked them if they were not aware of her identity. The next thing was that she dared to remove the beret of an officer on duty and threw it on the ground in the full glare of the public. That was when they arrested her. At the station, she admitted she broke a traffic rule and that she assaulted the police officer.
"We even had four eyewitness who came to the station to support our claims that she was at fault. If they claim she fled because the police tried to extort her, why didn't she use the position of her office to report the officer and then see the law take its cause."
When asked if the police would institute a legal action against Savage, she said it all depends on the outcome of the investigation and the way the case tilts at the end of the day.
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