Some anonymous individuals are said to be circulating an old video in which a woman accuses Hon. Tunji Akinosi, a member of the House of Representatives, of assaulting a sachet water hawker.
This video reappeared on various social media platforms on Thursday, 31 October, 2024, accompanied by provocative captions criticizing the lawmaker.
The shared video with the caption posted along read:
“This is another National Assembly member assaulting people on the road.
What is wrong with these lawless idiots calling themselves House of Reps members?
“Maybe they have a secret place in the National Assembly where they smoke something. It makes them settle conflicts with fights instead of calmly resolving them.
“This one again is even worse than the former. Attempting to beat up a woman? Somebody’s wife?
Honestly they do not know that Nigerians are not happy with them.”
In response, Akinosi’s media aide, Joel Okeodebija, described the individuals sharing the video as mischievous and unfamiliar with the details of the incident.
“They are reviving an old issue from last year, long before the Honorable was sworn in. They seek attention, but they won’t find it,” he stated.
What Happened
In May 2023, shortly after being elected, Hon. Akinosi was alleged to have been involved in a confrontation following a minor accident with a street hawker. A video of the incident, which many deemed inappropriate, quickly went viral, falsely portraying a violent encounter with a woman.
In addressing the rumors, Akinosi explained that while he would typically ignore such posts, he felt compelled to clarify the situation.
He recounted, “There was traffic along the Onikan route due to the May Day celebration, causing hawkers to crowd the area. One of them accidentally damaged my car’s side mirror. As my driver stopped to assess the damage, the hawker fell to the ground, claiming to have a broken leg, likely anticipating compensation.
“Before I knew it, a crowd surrounded my car, demanding I admit to injuring the hawker. I explained that my driver was already handling the matter. Suddenly, a woman appeared, shouting that she recognized me.
“As the situation escalated, I proposed two options: we could either go to the police station to file a formal complaint and then to the General Hospital in Onikan, ready to pay for any medical expenses if the hawker was indeed injured, or he would need to cover the cost of repairing my side mirror if no injury was found. Upon hearing this, the hawker quickly begged to be allowed to return to his work, claiming that others had urged him to feign injury.”
The lawmaker urged the public to remain calm and reasonable in the face of incidents, rather than fostering a mob mentality.
Investigations revealed that the woman who recorded the video, Thomas Abiodun, was a former employee of the Ogun State government at the College of Health Technology, Ilese. She was reportedly dismissed for gross misconduct, leading to disciplinary actions against her.
Akinosi remarked, “Given her behavior, it seems her intent was not genuine concern but rather to create a scene and seek cheap notoriety.”
Recall that this same woman, in a recently shared video on Facebook, claimed she was shot in the leg during the #EndSARS remembrance march. In the video, she hurled curses at President Bola Tinubu and his son, Seyi.
She also expressed her disdain for the families of Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and the police force’s Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi.
However, Akinosi’s aide further emphasized that those currently spreading misinformation about the Federal lawmaker are misinformed and unfamiliar with the facts. He warned that their actions could be classified as cyberstalking with possible legal consequences.
