Ikechukwu Joseph, Solomon Adeniyi, and Alhaja Asisat, three Ogun State residents, have written to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, through their lawyer, the Initiative for the Downtrodden, accusing some police officers of brruality and extortion.
The officers; SP Rotimi Ogunmuyiwa, ASP Paul Ataga, IPO Jude Ikhe (Chinedu), and others in Ogun State were alleged to be involved in brutality, extortion, and criminal abduction.
The victims narrated how the police officers in the Sango Area Command allegedly detained, tortured, and extorted them under the guise of an official operation.
According to the petition, signed by Ayo Ogundeji Esq, and Anaja Michael Marijata for the National President, the officers illegally abducted Joseph from his residence in Peace Estate, Ipaja, Lagos, on November 14, 2024.
“He was unlawfully detained, physically tortured; the victim’s two legs and hands were chained together with a metal rod placed in between his bounded hands and legs and was hung on a constructed pillar/pole at the IRT office, and was brutalised to the extent of inflicting him with bodily injuries,” the petition stated.
The petition also alleged that the officers stormed Joseph’s residence without a warrant, labelling him an armed robber and kidnapper.
“They openly labelled the 1st victim as a hardened criminal, by telling the neighborhood that the 1st victim is an armed robber and a kidnapper, who according to them kidnapped a little child and that they came from Abuja on the Inspector-General of Police’s order.”
The officers reportedly looted Joseph’s home, taking furniture, air conditioners, a deep freezer, and two generators.
“They even threw away the victim’s pregnant wife’s food from the freezer and took the freezer away,” the petition noted.
IK NEW PETITION TO IGP 2_250207_161025.pdf
It further alleged that one of the generators is currently in use at the police office.
The petition accused the officers of forcing Joseph to make false claims against his friend, Solomon Adeniyi, leading to the extortion of N3million from Adeniyi and N2million from Joseph.
“Yet, the officers forced the 1st victim to make falsehood allegation that he (the 1st victim) sold some cocoa and cashew nuts to one of his friends, Mr. Solomon Adeniyi, (an innocent individual).
“Just to enable the officers criminally obtain money from the said 2nd victim and they eventually, criminally obtained a sum of 3 million Naira before the two victims were released on bail.”
Another relative, Oladipo Bukola, was allegedly extorted of ₦600,000 using a POS agent.
The petition highlighted the impact on Joseph’s heavily pregnant wife, whose house was allegedly emptied by the officers.
“The victim’s wife is heavily pregnant and now, her house is emptied by the officers who looted the whole house without any lawful order.”
Despite intervention from the Deputy Commissioner of Police at the Force Intelligence Department (FID) Annex, Alagbon, the accused officers reportedly failed to appear for questioning.
“While on our way from the Force Annex, still at the entrance, the men of the IRT (SP. Rotimi’s team), led by ASP. Paul Ataga and assisted by a police Inspector on uniform of the Force Annex, double-crossed us and abducted the 1st and 2nd victims, and took them away in leg chains and handcuffs.”
The families of the abducted victims claim they have not been informed of their whereabouts.
“The families of the 1st and 2nd victims do not know their whereabouts till the time of filing this petition and we are all in imminent fear of what could happen to the victims in the hands of the SP. Rotimi who has earlier boasted of wasting them without any recourse.”
The petitioners urged the Inspector-General of Police to take immediate action. “We as a human rights organisation hereby request that you may take the following steps as a matter of urgency, so as to avoid further harassment and humiliation,” the petition stated, demanding a full investigation, disciplinary action, and refund of the extorted money.
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