An Assistant Superintendent of Police,
Salawu Kazeem, has been arrested and detained by the Lagos State Police
Command for allegedly torturing a 21-year-old carpenter, Ganiyu
Akinyemi, to death in the Aboru area of Lagos State.
Salawu Kazeem, has been arrested and detained by the Lagos State Police
Command for allegedly torturing a 21-year-old carpenter, Ganiyu
Akinyemi, to death in the Aboru area of Lagos State.
Kazeem
and two accomplices, identified only as Yusuf and other unknown, were
arrested on Tuesday.Ganiyu, who hailed from Aiyetoro in the
Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, was staying with his
parents in the area.
and two accomplices, identified only as Yusuf and other unknown, were
arrested on Tuesday.Ganiyu, who hailed from Aiyetoro in the
Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, was staying with his
parents in the area.
Punch newspaper reports that it happened on
Monday at about 5pm, the ASP and four men had come to the deceased’s
apartment on Victor Fagbemi Street, Aboru.
Monday at about 5pm, the ASP and four men had come to the deceased’s
apartment on Victor Fagbemi Street, Aboru.
They had reportedly accused the carpenter of stealing three T-shirts in a house where he went to work the previous week.
The house, where Ganiyu allegedly stole
the shirts, was also where the ASP lived.It was gathered that the ASP
arrested Ganiyu and told his family that he would detain him at the
nearest police station.
the shirts, was also where the ASP lived.It was gathered that the ASP
arrested Ganiyu and told his family that he would detain him at the
nearest police station.
When
the family members went to the Oke Odo Police Division around 7pm, the
21-year-old was not found there, while no report had been made in the
station.The family
members were called on the telephone around 3am on Tuesday that he was
admitted at the Oke Odo General Hospital.
the family members went to the Oke Odo Police Division around 7pm, the
21-year-old was not found there, while no report had been made in the
station.The family
members were called on the telephone around 3am on Tuesday that he was
admitted at the Oke Odo General Hospital.
He had reportedly sustained injuries on the knees, hands and forehead.
When the family members got to the
hospital, they were said to have been met by one of the men who followed
the ASP to the house. They were also said to have been told by a doctor
that Ganiyu was dead.
hospital, they were said to have been met by one of the men who followed
the ASP to the house. They were also said to have been told by a doctor
that Ganiyu was dead.
The matter was thereafter reported to
the Oke Odo Police Division on Tuesday and the ASP and two of the men
were arrested, while two others escaped.
the Oke Odo Police Division on Tuesday and the ASP and two of the men
were arrested, while two others escaped.
Our correspondent learnt that the ASP
reportedly begged the victim’s family at the police station, saying
Ganiyu’s death was a mistake.
reportedly begged the victim’s family at the police station, saying
Ganiyu’s death was a mistake.
Speaking with PUNCH Metro,
Ganiyu’s father, Alhaji Akinyemi Ibrahim, who is also the chairman of
the community development association, said he released his son to the
men because he saw the ASP’s identity card and trusted that his son was
being taken to a police station.
Ganiyu’s father, Alhaji Akinyemi Ibrahim, who is also the chairman of
the community development association, said he released his son to the
men because he saw the ASP’s identity card and trusted that his son was
being taken to a police station.
Ibrahim added that he was shocked to
realise that Ganiyu was taken to the complainant’s house, where the ASP
also stayed, and was tortured till he became unconscious.
realise that Ganiyu was taken to the complainant’s house, where the ASP
also stayed, and was tortured till he became unconscious.
He said,
“On that Monday, at about 5pm, I
had just returned from a wedding in Kano State and I was very tired.
Five men came to the house and asked for Ganiyu. When he came out, they
started threatening him.“I asked them to identify themselves,
and the ASP showed me his ID card, and said Ganiyu stole some T-shirts
when he came to fix kitchen cabinets in his house. He added that he had
come to arrest him.“I did not have any problem with that. I
felt secured that it was a police officer who came to take him away,
and he had said he would be taking him to the nearest police station,
which was Oke Odo division. I told them that I would take a shower, rest
a little and meet them at the station.“But to my surprise, around 7pm
when I
wanted to go, the phone number that the ASP and his men gave us was
switched off. I sent one of my sons to check them at the police
station.“The boy, however, rushed back to say Ganiyu was not taken to
any station.“It was around 3am on the following day
that we got a call that Ganiyu was hospitalised and was in a critical
condition at the Oke Odo General Hospital.“When the hospital officials
realised
that his knees, hands and forehead had been badly injured, they insisted
that they would only attend to him when they saw a family member; that
was when the ASP and his men were forced to call us on the telephone.”
Ganiyu’s elder sister, Saidat Ibrahim,
said,
said,
“Ganiyu had told us that the men gave him the T-shirts after he
finished working in the house. But when they wanted to frame him up,
they said he stole the shirts.”