Oseni, Popular Arise TV Presenter, Arraigned, Fined; Apologises For Expletives On Police

By Adesina Soyooye

For a popular Television Presenter, it was a case of not adhering to what  one preaches when he ran foul of the law, and used expletives on Police Officers.

Rufai Oseni of the popular ARISE Television Morning Show, was on Wednesday, arraigned in Court, and fined the sum of  N70,000 for running foul of the law by committing a traffic offence in Lagos.

Trouble started for Oseni when he drove on a Bus Rapid Transit lane, BRT.

He was accosted by the Police for the offence. But he refused to give in, and/or accept his offence, insisting that it was his Google map that “took him to the lane.”

When the Police tried to confiscate his car, which they eventually did, he poured expletives on the officers, and threatened to put a call through to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

In an update on the now celebrated incident, Tuesday, the Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin,  addressed the claim by Oseni  that a policeman pointed a gun at him for driving on the dedicated BRT lane.

According to Hundeyin, “Mr. Rufai Oseni was in court earlier today. He was found guilty of contravening Lagos State Transport Law (2018).

“He was subsequently fined Seventy Thousand Naira Only. He made the payment, after which his vehicle was released to him.”

On Monday, Rufai had tweeted, “A Nigerian police officer pointed a gun at me and forcefully took my keys and drove my car off, because he wanted to enforce a traffic infraction.”

But responding to the tweet, Hundeyin said:  “Rufai, let’s not do this. You admitted to me that you passed a BRT lane. It’s against the law.

“Your claim that google maps took you there is not tenable. You disobeyed and resisted the officers. We’ll sanction the officer who misused firearm if proven.”

In a video which trended on Twitter Tuesday, Oseni was  seen heaping insults on the policemen, and boasting that “I will call the Governor …nonsense.”

Oseni has, however, apologised for using expletives on the Police on Tuesday, but insisted he had the right to call the State Governor if he was being maltreated by the Police.