Nigerian Police IG, Ibrahim Idris.
A 25-year-old male beautician, Omobola Victor, has been battered by policemen in Ondo State after they “touched” his girlfriend.
Victor said police officers attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Ondo State Police Command assaulted him where he went to get roasted yam, Punch Metro learnt.
He told newsmen that he tried his best to avoid the officers but they approached him after his girlfriend asked one of them when “why he touched her?”
He said, “When I saw them there, I waited for them to buy their roasted yam from the seller before I bought mine, but the next thing I noticed was that the officer beside me touched my fiancée and she asked him why he touched her.
“The officer just faced me and asked me where my car was and I told him that I did not have any. One of the officials came down from the Hilux they brought and started beating me up, saying I was stupid. People that gathered were too afraid to do anything.
“They bundled me into their Hilux and drove off, leaving my fiancée there. I thought they would take me to a police station in Akure but they took me to the Yaba Police Station in Ondo town.”
Victor who is an indigene of Ogun State, said they asked where his car was.
The beautician said he told them that he does not have a car and that he is a beautician, adding that he even showed them his Instagram account but they still locked him up.
He said, “I thought they would release me after explaining myself to them but they put a handcuff on my hand and locked me up with suspected criminals.
“They brought me out the next day and took me to their boss’ office where they asked me again where I parked my car, adding that they knew I used a Toyota Camry; but I told them that I did not have a car.”
The beautician also alleged that the police officer had threatened to set him up with “tramadol” and sue him for drug abuse.
He said, “The officer said I was shouting that I didn’t do anything, but what about the drug they found on me. I told him that nothing was found on me and I saw him when he was bringing it out from where they kept it. He beat me up again.
“They asked me to pay them money, but I told them I didn’t have any. They checked my account balance and saw only N2000.
“One of the officers said I was a bad market. He said in Yoruba that, “omo oloshi leleyi, won lowo nile won, won le rowo se case (this one is poor, they can’t raise money for court case in his family).
“About three hours later, their boss came and ordered that they should drop me back to Akure when they were going for patrol.
“The officers dropped me back at the spot they picked me up from in Akure around 1pm with my cloth torn.”
Reacting to the allegation, Ondo state Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph, has urged the beautician to come and identify the officers.
“I will need to see the complait to get the details of the policemen and the fact of what transpired. If he can identify the officers, he should come to our office and we will talk over it,” he said.