The police had accused her brother of being an internet fraudster and when she asked for proof she was brutalised
Faith Ohagbon, a trader, has accused police officers under the Ijede division of physically assaulting her late Saturday for requesting that her brother, unjustly detained, be released from custody.
Narrating her ordeal, Ms Ohagbon, who sells female wears, told Peoples Gazette that her bother, Williams Ohagbon, was arrested on Thursday by police officers while running errands for her.
“On Thursday, I asked him to buy me something. He was later picked up by the police officers. I tried calling him, but he was unreachable. So people told me they (police) had arrested him. We started looking for him for two days,” she said.
After searching all the police stations within her area for two days, Ms Ohagbon said she later found out that her brother was arrested.
The sister said she was shocked to find her brother in police custody, so she asked the officers, and they claimed he was an internet fraudster and had confessed to committing N19 million cyber fraud.
Ms Ohagbon said the iPhone X she had given her brother was seized from him and the officers detained him for two days
“So he was arrested and his phone was seized from him. How was I supposed to locate him for two days?
“Police officers told me that he has already written a statement and confessed that he was a Yahoo boy and I’m only covering up for him. I told them that I was the owner of the phone they seized from him and I always send him money. So I asked for proof of his statement.”
She said she insisted that it was a lie and William should be released to her because he did not commit any crime, and that was why an officer beat her.
She told The Gazette that the phone was eventually returned to her without payment, and he was released on Saturday night after she posted the incident on her Twitter page.
“Then the officer said it was a mistaken identity and that was not my brother’s identity. So I asked that they should release him, he refused.
“I was talking to the C.S.O officer he was drinking alcohol on duty, then one of the junior officer on duty slapped me on my face with his gun and hands.
“They threatened to shoot me and take me into their vehicle; that was when the officer got a call from the DPO that I already posted the incident on social media and they should release whoever is in custody.”
Meanwhile, Williams was arrested in front of their house at Ginti Ikorodu two weeks ago by the same police officers from Ijede police division.
Ms Ohagon said that N50,000 was demanded from her at the police station to secure Williams’ release or he will be charged to court as an internet fraudster.
She said that she had at the time paid N10,000 to the officers for her brother’s release.
The Lagos police command spokesperson, Adekunle Ajisebutu, told The Gazette that the state police commissioner has ordered an investigation into the matter.
“I am aware and the commissioner has ordered a thorough investigation,” he said.
