The police divisional headquarters in Iba, Lagos State, has held Ayomide Obamuyiwa, an electrician, in detention since Friday in the stead of his cousin, whom they believe purchased a stolen phone.

Sources familiar with the matter told EQ that a policeman who identified himself as ‘Friday’ instructed the family to pay him N2 million to secure Obamuyiwa’s release.

Speaking to EQ on Wednesday, Oluwatobi Adams, a friend of the family, said the police went to Ijebu Ode in Ogun State on Friday to look for Idowu Usman, the suspect. When they did not find him there, they took Obamuyiwa.

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The electrician slept in a cell from that day till Tuesday when Usman visited the station to show the police a receipt for the phone he purchased on September 20.

Despite his plea of innocence, the police detained Usman and “told the family to pay N2 million if they wanted Obamuyiwa to regain his freedom”, Adams told EQ.

Both men remained in detention at press time.

Adams said he called Omolola Opeifa, the station’s Divisional Police Officer (DPO), but she did not answer his call.

On Wednesday, EQ called Opeifa. She said she had not learnt of the matter but would investigate and get back to the reporter. EQ also learnt that Adams had reported the misconduct to the Police Complaints Response Unit (CRU).

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After EQ spoke with the DPO, Adams said the police began restricting the family’s access to Opeifa and were negotiating a lower fee. Adams said one policeman asked, “Is bail free?”

The Nigerian constitution criminalises arrest by proxy and monetary bail at police stations, but the trend remains popular.

On November 7, EQ reported how the police arrested and detained Lanre Shotunde, a businessman based in Abeokuta, Ogun, as a placeholder for Olamide Abiodun Thomas, his Facebook friend whom they were after.
The post To Get to Suspect, Lagos Police Abduct His Cousin From Ogun, Demand N2m Bail appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.