Photo: 50-year-old photographer dies in Ibadan after alleged police brutality

A 50-year-old photographer died in Ibadan, after he was allegedly tortured by some men of the Oyo State Special Anti-Robbery Squad at their Dugbe Headquarters. According to family sources, friends and neighbours, the man was arrested on Friday, April 21, alongside four others during a raid at a spot for allegedly smoking Indian hemp.

Samson Akindele, Head of News at Fresh 105.9 FM, Ibadan, who confirmed the incident said that the men were brutally tortured at the SARS detection facility at Dugbe, with what they claimed looked like hockey sticks and other iron materials. It's believed that the man died from the torture due to internal bleeding.

"My investigation further revealed that each of the other suspects’ relations and friends had to pay nothing less than N30,000 to get bailed after days without food." said Akindele.

It was gathered that the deceased was unable to reach his family because his phone was seized and having realised that he could die in detention, the policemen were said to have quickly released him to a man who brought him to his house after paying N3,500 as bail.
According to the man, the police reduced the bail money to N5,000 but when he could not raise up to that, they hurriedly released the deceased to him.
But on getting home, as the man was being helped to alight from the motorcycle (Okada) that brought him home, he gave up the ghost just at the front yard of the house.

"From the taped interview I had with one of those arrested and detained with the deceased, he never smoked cannabis, even though he (co-suspect) admitted doing so," said Akindele.

"Neighbours also attested to the simple lifestyle, industry and good neighbourliness of the man. They all opposed to the Indian hemp theory woven around the man they loved to see around," he said.

Meanwhile, family members have reported the matter at the Orita Police Division and have contacted pathologists to examine the body to determine the real cause of death.
Source: PM News
Photo credit: Samson Akindele