How did a 19-year old barber, Gafar Ayoola, die after his arrest by the police last Friday at Oyingbo Market in Ebute Meta, Lagos Mainland?
A source at Denton Police Station claimed that Ayoola was tortured to death by his colleagues despite not finding any incriminating evidence on the late suspect.
The policemen allegedly hanged and beat him until he passed out following his arrest for “wandering” by a corporal.
When the late Ayoola became unconscious, the policemen called their Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and told him the suspect was dying. But the DPO told them the late suspect was just “pretending”.
When his men insisted that the late suspect was not pretending, the DPO was said to have directed them to take him to the hospital, where he died.
The police source told The Nation that the suspect’s body was taken to Lagos Mainland Hospital Mortuary at Yaba, without notifying his parents.
The source claimed that the teenager was tortured and rushed to a hospital on Kano Street, where he died.
“The boy’s parents reside at 16, Bridge Road, Otto in Ebute-Meta but he was a barber at Okoafo in Badagry.
“A corporal arrested him around 8:30am at Oyingbo bus stop. The corporal claimed the boy was wandering but nothing was found on him to indicate he was a suspect.
“I don’t like the way the boy was tortured. The boy was hanged as if he was a notorious armed robber or kidnapper. The worst part is that the station wants to shield the corporal for killing an innocent just like that.
“The DPO was not around when the boy was arrested and beaten. He was only called on phone and when he was appealing to the bereaved father for peace on Saturday, he told the man that Gafar belonged to a four-man gang of cultists and armed robbers. He claimed that his three other accomplices escaped and that they have been on wanted list. That is a lie. There’s no allegation against him and no exhibit was found on him,” the source said.
The bereaved parents, Mr and Mrs Sulaiman Ayoola, said some people that told one of their sons that his brother had been arrested.
Ayoola, a private security guard with First Bank, told The Nation that he was shocked when one of his sons called him around 10pm to tell him that Gafar was arrested and killed by the police.
“It was around 10pm that one of my sons called me. I was still at work and he told me that he was on his way home when he saw people gathered and they told him that Gafar was arrested by the police and killed.
“At first, I did not understand what he meant because I did not even understand why police would arrest my son. So, I quickly left for the police station, I asked to see my son whom they arrested in the morning.
“Initially, they denied arresting him. They showed me the names of suspects in their custody and my son’s name was not there. I told them that the person who arrested my son was one Corporal Taiwo but they claimed there was no officer with that name in their station.
“After much argument, they told me to come back on Saturday after environmental sanitation because the DPO was not around, which I did. By the time I got there on Saturday morning, most of my people were already around and I think they were scared that the people, out of anger might do something crazy.
“Then, the DPO called us inside and he started begging us to take heart. That we should go and take the body at Mainland Hospital. That the boy was arrested for ‘wandering’ and he died of cardiac arrest, probably because he has never been arrested before.”Despite their effort to cover up the evil they did to my son, whom they did not find any incriminating thing on; at the station, we were told by some people who did not like what happened to the boy that he was hanged and tortured. They said the policemen hanged him and were beating him until he collapsed.
“The DPO begged us to go and collect the body and bury him but I have not gone there. I cannot go there. My son cannot die like that because he’s not a criminal. I want President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and all Nigerians to help me get justice for my son. Why did the police kill my son and they tried to cover up his death? Why did they arrest my boy without telling anyone? Why are they covering up the officer who arrested my son for ‘wandering’? I need justice for my son,” he said.
Police spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent (SP), said the case would be investigated adding:
“It was learnt that shortly after he was arrested and brought to the division, he complained that he was feeling sick and he was rushed to the hospital. It was while he was receiving treatment at the hospital that he passed on.
“The leadership of the command and the Force in general are keen about entrenchment of and respect for human rights. The police abhor any form of torture. Therefore, I believe no officer will take that risk. However, we will commence an investigation into the case,” she said. The Nation.
Denton Police Officers are just killing innocent people and collecting bribes from innocent citizens as they like. What do u expect, Their DPO, Saheed Olanrewaju Quadry was a cultist leader called Black AXE, a killer and a rapist since when he was in Lagos state University ( 1993 to 1998)before he was rusticated from LASU and he was banned from LASU for his atrocities. He enjoys killing innocent people since then. How on earth will police force use that one to head a station without checking on his past records. Nigerians, we should all stand for justice now, justice must be done now. we should give support to the victim and his family, If not, many more would still fall as his victims!!!