"How I was arrested unlawfully in the US for shoplifting" - Lagos club owner, Ahmed Uwhubetine

Ahmed's mugshot

Popular Lagos socialite and Night Club owner, Ahmed Uwhubetine was arrested in the US a few weeks ago for shoplifting and theft at a store in Atlanta, Georgia. His mug shot was taken and posted on the internet – jailbase.com, an informational site for friends, family and victims of arrested persons charged for theft and shoplifting, where he was booked by Fulton County Sheriff’s office on July 16, 2011.  Ahmed is an upwardly mobile, rich, influential and well connected dude, so how did he find himself in this mess? He tells City People Magazine what exactly happened on that day.

I still can’t believe that I went through that humiliation. I was unlawfully arrested. Do you know how much was alleged to have been stolen? $315 worth of goods. My ordeal started 2 Fridays back at 7.45pm.

My friend and I entered a store to buy a big travel bag, you may not know him but Jean Charles Baldini is one wealthy guy, a French man who is my friend. We went into the Ross Departmental Store located on Piedmont Road in Atlanta. That was July 15, 2011. After purchasing the bag, we decided to buy other items. Then my phone rang and I began to chat with the caller. We also bought items like bed sheets and quilts. Then the store manager came to meet us to ask us what we were up to so he can get us a trolley. We said no problem and continued. After a while we saw about 10 police officers enter the shop with another 20 taking position outside as if it was a commando of style operation. They approached us, asked us to raise our hands and identify ourselves which we did. I told them I was a Nigerian guy, Jean a French guy. They searched us and found our credit cards, mine was a MasterCard, they saw Jean’s AMEX Gold cards, they were then confused. Next thing they brought out handcuffs and handcuffed us and led us outside into their cars. They didn’t let us make phone calls. They took us to the police station where Jean called the French Consulate and I called a few of my friends. Next, they threw us into Fulton County Jail, took mug shots and blood samples to see if we were high on drugs. We were arrested at about 8pm on Friday and by Saturday morning; they had a problem on their hands. Since we were arrested, they will have to arraign us before a court to even be able to get us released. So how will they get a judge to sit on a Saturday morning? The earliest time would Monday morning. I don’t know how they did, they quickly got a judge to sit on Saturday morning who hurriedly heard the case and it was dismissed. Curiously also, the store didn’t press charges. No charges were pressed, no bond demanded, no trial. I guess it was when the lady who interrogated us ran her checks that she saw she was dealing with reputable people with no previous record of conviction. That was what happened. We have sued the store for unlawful arrest and having damaged our reputation, taking our mug shot and posting it on the internet.

Already Ahmed and Jean have briefed the law offices of Belli, Weil, Grozbean & Davis., LLP in Atlanta to take up the case.