CDHR faults arrest, torture of member in Ibadan

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CDHR faults arrest, torture of member in Ibadan

The Committee for Defence of Human Rights has accused a team of policemen in Oyo State of arresting, detaining and brutalising its member, Mr Emmanuel Bolaji.

The CDHR, in a petition dated April 26, 2021 and a copy of which was made available to our correspondent in Ibadan, claimed that a policeman, Olumide Aborisade, led a team of armed policemen to arrest, torture and detain Bolaji for an offence he did not commit.

The CDHR Secretary in Oyo State, Omololu Ejidiran, said the group wrote a petition addressed to the state Commissioner of Police on the matter and also did a reminder on it, asking the police chief to probe the alleged brutality.

He said despite the two letters, nothing had been done on the matter.

He explained that the police team from Idi Ose Police Station in Ibadan allegedly arrested Bolaji on the instruction of a man who had a misunderstanding with his business partner, Wasiu Babatunde, who is Bolaji’s younger brother.

He said the arrest was unlawful because there was no law that stated that somebody could be arrested in place of his relations.

Ejidiran said, “The police officers were not in uniform and they aggressively seized Bolaji by his trousers and ordered him to comply with their instructions or else he would have himself to blame.

“On arrival at the police station, he was ordered to sit behind the counter, then officer Aborisade Olumide that led the team of the officers under the directive of

SP Olaiya Mathew, threatened him.

“He was beaten mercilessly until he started bleeding from his ears and mouth. He was tortured to the extent that he was rushed to the hospital for medical treatment as soon as he was released N12,000 was paid for his bail.

“We sent our members to meet with the head of the station, with the intension to get justice, but all their efforts proved abortive.”

Efforts made to speak with the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Adewale Osifeso, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

Calls made to telephone line by our correspondent rang out and he has yet to reply the chats sent to him on the matter.