The family of a disc jockey, Olashile Balogun, have accused men of the New Oko Oba Police Station, Lagos State, of detaining their son for his friend’s crime.
The police also allegedly tortured the victim for the three days he was in detention.
PUNCH Metro gathered that policemen from the station stormed Olashile’s house on Olisa Street, New Oko Oba, Lagos, on December 19 around 10.52pm.
His pregnant wife was said to have called his brother, Francis, who went to the police station.
Francis said, “On getting there, I was told to come back the following morning. I reached there that morning and met the IPO and she told me that my brother’s friend, Sunday, burgled the room of a lady, who is a tenant in the compound, and carted away valuables. I was told that they saw him give my brother a bag. When the police couldn’t see Sunday, they came to pick up my brother that night.
“I visited the scene of the incident to confirm that the room was burgled and also went back to the police station to tell them that my brother could not be held responsible for a crime committed by his friend, an action that is against the police code of conduct. They refused to hear me out, so I went to meet the lady at home and told her that she must visit the station with me. She wasn’t forthcoming but I stood my ground and she later followed me to the station.
“The police told her to go home and leave me alone but I said she wasn’t going anywhere until we got to the root of the matter. I said if they wanted to charge my brother to court they should do that and if they allowed her to leave for her house I would still go to her house and disturb her because my brother was innocent.
“Then the DCO told the IPO to arrest me, saying I was threatening the lady. I was placed at the counter. I called my lawyer and he came and told them that they had no case against me and after much persuasion, I was released.
“The lady said my brother was not a party to the crime and even wrote a statement to that effect that the police should release him. But after she left, the police did not release my brother and started demanding money for his release.”
Francis said he begged them for his brother’s release but the police refused.
He said he returned to the station on the third day of his brother’s detention.
“I give them the money before he was released to me. I also bought drinks for them. Olashile was harassed. He has been traumatised since he came out of the station, refusing to eat, bathe or talk because of what happened to him,” he added.
Olashile confirmed that Sunday was his friend.
The father of two, however, denied collecting any bag from him on the day of the incident.
PUNCH Metro could not speak further with Olashile as he was traumatised by the incident.
The lady, identified only as Ifeoluwa, confirmed the incident but directed our correspondent to the police for further inquiries.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said Olashile was released after nothing incriminating was found in his house.
He said, “He was alleged to have received a black bag which was stolen from the room of one Ifeoluwa by one Sunday, now at large. He was arrested and detained but was later released on bail after a search warrant was executed in his house and premises and nothing incriminating was found.”
Section 36 of the Police Act prohibits the arrest of any person in place of a suspect.
Section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 also states that a person shall not be arrested in place of a suspect.
A lawyer, Festus Ogun, said the action of the police officers was unconstitutional, adding that the victim should file a fundamental rights suit against the police.
