Afeez Hanafi
A Mass Communication student of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Taiwo Rasaq, has lamented that some policemen attached to the Owutu Police Division tortured and detained him unlawfully.
Rasaq claimed that the only “crime” he committed was demanding to know the reason for his arrest.
The victim, who was apprehended during a raid in the Agric area of Ikorodu, said he parted with N30,000 before he regained his freedom.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Rasaq was about to disembark from a tricycle when the policemen picked him up around 9.30pm on May 30.
He said the policemen arrested 30 others and whisked them away to the station, adding that he was slapped several times when he requested to know his offence.
He said, “On May 30, around 9.30pm, I was coming from Egbeda in a tricycle. As I was about alighting at Ori-Okuta, in the Agric area, some policemen from the Owutu division arrested me. They arrested many people including those that went to buy bread and garri for dinner.
“When we got to the station, we met over 30 boys who had also been arrested like us. I demanded to know why I was arrested, but they did not answer. A few minutes after, they told me to remove my clothes and drop my belongings, but I refused.
“I told them I would not UnCloth until I knew why I was arrested. I asked them to allow me make my statements and call my people. Three of them walked up to me and slapped me several times.
“One of them said, ‘You think you know the law, you will sleep in the cell tonight’.
“I kept telling them that I deserved to know my offence and if they couldn’t tell me, then it’s a kidnap. One of them slapped me again, while others manhandled me, so I kept quiet.”
Rasaq said the policemen allegedly collected between N5,000 and N10,000 from others, but he paid N30,000 for being ‘stubborn’ before he was released.
“We were over 70 that they arrested. They didn’t interrogate us or allow us to write any statement. The following morning, the bargain started from N10,000 and they threatened to move us to the Kirikiri Prisons. People begged and they agreed to take N5,000.
“My people begged them as well, they collected N30,000 from me for being stubborn.
Two other officers said they would not allow me go until I paid them another N1,000 privately, which I did. Though I couldn’t take pictures of the officers, I took their names and tags. They are: Odetunde Taofeek of Force Number 366967 and Iniobong Bassey of Force Number 023349,” he added.
Another victim, Yemi Ajayi, who resides in Igbo Olomu Junction, said he had attempted to explain to the policemen that a 15-year-old boy they arrested was his son’s friend, when he was beaten up and arrested.
He said, “I was in front of my wife’s shop around 9pm when the boy was shouting my name. I went to meet the police and told them who the boy was, but they did not listen. They hit me with the butt of their gun, fired tear gas canisters and threw me inside their van. The DPO was there too; he didn’t listen to me. It was my people that came to pay for my bail the next day and I was taken to a hospital. As I speak with you, I am still in pains.”
The Officer-in-Charge of the Nigeria Police Complaint Response Unit, CSP Abayomi Shogunle, said the raid was to rid Ikorodu of cult groups and violent attacks.
He said, “It is a week-long operation and it is in response to recent cult-related attacks in Ikorodu town. Some of the apprehended persons, found not to be linked to the ongoing investigation, have been released after initial screening, while 120 persons of interest arrested at different locations have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba.”
The Lagos State Police spokesperson promised to get back to our correspondent on the incident.

Source: PUNCH

When will police brutality end in this country? We hope this new intakes will be a lot better than the trigger happy ones we already have.....

God help Nigerians

NPF been terrorising Nigerians since 1960. Don't argue with them if you don't have a witness present and especially at night. They are always high. 90% of young Nigerians have experienced their brutality. Just give them whatever they want and fight back later, tho their IGP means well, it's the uneducated bunch that don't know their job description. Government financed bokos

This is a norm with NPF. I remember seeing one sometime driving into a bus stop arrested a young handsome chap and dealt blows on him. If not for well meaning Nigerians that confronted the policeman in numbers, that young chap would have been thrown in police cell for doing nothing wrong.

Same thing still happens

A Benue artiste INAS (John Inas) has been in police custody since Wednesday 1st of June after being arrested for going home late after a video shoot...
He was bailed on Friday night (3/6/16) with the sum of #20,000. But was told to come back on Saturday for the collection of his phone since the policeman in possession of the phone had gone home.
The next day when he went to collect the phone, the policeman told him not to disturb him about the phone or he'll rearrest him. The boy continued begging the policeman and the policeman told him to sit and wait for him. After 4 hours of waiting for him, the policeman handcuffed him and sent him along with 2 other boys arrested the night before to the state police headquarters (CID department) on a new charge of Homicide(murder), armed robbery and conspiracy.
The clips of the video and behind the scenes pictures of the video shoot have been presented to the police but because of the weight of the allegations made by the policeman, the case has been sent to court.
As I write this, morning (13/6/16), INAS is going to be tried in court for a murder case he knows nothing about.
He needs your prayers.
Please share this information because this issue is really unfair.
On 1st of June after the video shoot, I shared this picture of the bts on social media not knowing that the poor boy was languishing in jail.
PRAY FOR INAS.
Pray he'll be freed in court tomorrow.

Hmm after they will say police is your friend

lumydee44:
NPF been terrorising Nigerians since 1960. Don't argue with them if you don't have a witness present and especially at night. They are always high. 90% of young Nigerians have experienced their brutality. Just give them whatever they want and fight back later, tho their IGP means well, it's the uneducated bunch that don't know their job description. Government financed bokos

How long do we continue this way? They are supposed to be safe guarding/protecting lives and properties not the other way round....

bennycash:
A Benue artiste INAS (John Inas) has been in police custody since Wednesday 1st of June after being arrested for going home late after a video shoot...
He was bailed on Friday night (3/6/16) with the sum of #20,000. But was told to come back on Saturday for the collection of his phone since the policeman in possession of the phone had gone home.
The next day when he went to collect the phone, the policeman told him not to disturb him about the phone or he'll rearrest him. The boy continued begging the policeman and the policeman told him to sit and wait for him. After 4 hours of waiting for him, the policeman handcuffed him and sent him along with 2 other boys arrested the night before to the state police headquarters (CID department) on a new charge of Homicide(murder), armed robbery and conspiracy.
The clips of the video and behind the scenes pictures of the video shoot have been presented to the police but because of the weight of the allegations made by the policeman, the case has been sent to court.
As I write this, morning (13/6/16), INAS is going to be tried in court for a murder case he knows nothing about.
He needs your prayers.
Please share this information because this issue is really unfair.
On 1st of June after the video shoot, I shared this picture of the bts on social media not knowing that the poor boy was languishing in jail.
PRAY FOR INAS.
Pray he'll be freed in court tomorrow.

Cases like these are some of the reasons why NIGERIANS mourn LATE CHIEF GANI FAWEHINMI.....

If the lad is innocent as you said..... Massive awareness has to be made for him until people with the wherewithal comes for his rescue...

If not nah OKE KURA(PRISON) be that ooooo

ettaetta:
Hmm after they will say police is your friend

Armed robbers better pass our police ooo....


For those ones, you go sabi Wetin them come for

frodobee:
Owoda police station?
It's been for your 30k. You want ur money back? Carry ur men go him house at the close of work.

Money matters
Anyway, I get C-Band Equipment(BUC, LNB, 2.4m Dish, IDirect Modem) all @400K.

Lol na Wetin concern this guy na im dey worry for.... Police matter no go put food for him belle?