The Police Commissioner, Lagos State, Edgal Imohimi, has ordered that the police officers who allegedly tortured a rights activist, Sunday Oladipupo, while he was trying to effect the release of a victim of police extortion, Samuel Oyekanmi, be investigated.
To that end, an investigative panel is to be constituted.
A statement issued on Thursday by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, assured that if found guilty, the officers will face appropriate disciplinary action.
The statement also said the CP had directed the withdrawal of the court case against the victim for re-investigation.
The statement read in part: “The attention of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, has been drawn to a publication on pages 4 and 5 of The PUNCH dated Thursday, December 13, 2018, titled, ‘Police torture good Samaritan for trying to free extortion victim.’
“Following the publication, the CP has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department to withdraw the case from the court for investigation.
“The CP further directed the DC, SCIID, to constitute an investigative panel and invite all the parties involved in the matter, including the police officers, who handled the case, for thorough enquiries. The officers, if found guilty, will be made to face appropriate disciplinary actions.
“The command frowns on any act of rights abuse against anybody irrespective of their class or background. In its usual way, the command assures members of the public that the outcome of the investigation will be made known.”
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PUNCH Metro had reported on Wednesday, Dec. 12, that Oyekanmi was arrested on his way home from a generator repair workshop, where he serves as an apprentice, by operatives of the Anti-cultism Unit of the Lagos State Police Command during a raid on the Itire area of the metropolis on November 27, 2018.
Upon his arrest, the police reportedly requested the sum of N150,000 from the parents of the 23-year-old as bail for his release.
The victim’s parents subsequently sought the help of Oladipupo for the release of their son.
Oladipupo said while trying to help the parents to secure Oyekanmi’s release, he was allegedly detained, tortured and arraigned on six counts of being the leader of an unlawful society, obtaining by false pretences and manner likely to cause breach of peace.
