70-year-old man allegedly tortured to death in police detention in Ondo
A 70-YEAR-OLD-MAN identified as Mr. Gbenga Omolo, was allegedly killed by men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Ondo State Command, after several hours of serious torture.
The Guardian gathered that the deceased died in the custody of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Oda Road after he was tortured and his corpse has been deposited in the morgue of the State Specialist Hospital, Akure.
Members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, yesterday came out to protest the death of Omolo, who was a member of the union before his death.
Further investigation revealed that last week Thursday, there was a traffic hold-up at the popular Arakale Road Akure, the state capital and the deceased was coming through the road when he discovered that it was a car that obstructed the road. Omolo was said to have questioned the driver of the vehicle, not knowing that he was a police officer.
Eyewitnesses told The Guardian that the police officer attacked the man and started beating him, a development that later attracted some sympathizers to come to his rescue.
The situation took another dimension on Friday when some policemen attached to SARS mobilised themselves to Amudipe Street in Akure and started arresting people in the area.
A source said that the victim was later arrested by policemen numbering about six where he was pumping his tyre and some people that were sympathising with him were taken to the station, too.
The source added that on getting to the station, the men in charge demanded for N150,000 for his bail which they could not raise at that time. On Tuesday morning, it was also gathered that the branch Chairman of his garage identified as Mr. Muyiwa raised N100,000 for his bail, but on getting to the station, the man was found dead in police custody.
Another source who pleaded anonymity told journalists that the policemen involved in the act have been arrested and detained at the police headquarters along Igbatoro Road, Akure.
The family of the deceased declined to speak on the issue, saying the State Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke, had invited them to his office to discuss the matter.
Omolo was said to have questioned the driver of the vehicle, not knowing that he was a police officer
Several attempts by journalists to reach the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Wole Ogodo, also proved abortive. It was learnt that the state chapter of NURTW and family of the victim are planning to take the matter to court.
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3 Comments
What a shame. Police is your friend? The new administration should try to engage our army of unemployed graduates as police officers[Dangote employed some as truck drivers]. What is the point in having our best and brightest roam the streets while entrusting the safety of lives and properties in the hands of glorified thugs and touts.Again, the Nigerian police is still enmeshed in colonial mentality and modus operandi tailored strictly after the jaundiced Royal police during the pre-independent Nigeria. The Nigerian police depends on torture and other primitive, inhumane tactics to extract confession from innocent suspects. The much talked about rule of law by the the new administration could easily be achieved by restructuring the security forces and bringing on board men and women of impeccable character. The present ragtag, illiterate/half-educated, bag-carrying, weting-you-carry officers in the force are antithetical to having a decent force in a civilized clime.
Police are the most disgruntled set of people in the country since majority of them lack educ
ation and decipline
I had an experience with the NPF last week Thursday (May 28, 2015). I have observed that they habitually mislead unwary motorist along the Second Rainbow of Mile 2 axis of Lagos state. They will camp themselves in a hired or hijacked commercial bus and drive one-way (about 30 meters) back towards Apple junction and then arrest only private vehicle owners even when the express is locked down due to the activities of tanker drivers.
Anyway I took their picture and what they did was to ‘arrest’ me immediately. They subsequently physically assaulted me multiple times as I asked them what my crime was. They alomost lynched me if not for some of my neighbors that identified me and threatened to contact our lawyers. They resorted to further physical assault and later deleted all the pictures from my phone. I asked the senior amongst them if what his colleagues did to me was wrong and he claimed he never saw anything.
That is NPF for you. They pride on savaging the poor masses.
We will review and take appropriate action.