Ife Chief Detained For 11 Days By Prison Officers, Police over False Allegation

By Abdulrafiu Agboola

The Obataala of Ijugbe Ife, Chief Babalola Eludoyin has alleged that he was illegally detained for 11 days by officer of the Nigeria Prison Service and Nigeria Police Force in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The Obataala of Ijugbe Ife, Chief Babalola Eludoyin

According to Eludoyin, he was detained for five hours at the Agodi Prison where he was transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad at Eleyele Ibadan, a palace he spent 10 days in detention.

Narrating his ordeal, Eludoyin said he was subjected to inhuman treatment by both the police and the prison officers, following an allegation made by a woman that her pregnancy mysteriously disappeared while sitting beside him in a public bus.

He narrated his story to CityMirrorNews on Monday, August 01, 2016.

Eludoyin said: “On July 16, 2016, I took Ajumose bus at Iwo road to challenge. At challenge bus stop; the woman sitting beside me shouted that her pregnancy has disappeared, that I have taken her pregnancy. The people at the bus stop bombarded and beat me blue-black. They tore my clothes and I was left half naked.

“A man came out from the crowd and introduced himself as a policeman from fele police station. He handcuffed. While that was on, the woman that claimed that I took her pregnancy called a man, who she claimed was her husband. The man is a prison officer. He commandeered me from the policeman and bundled me into an awaiting tricycle.

“I did not know where he was taken me to until we reached Agodi prison in Ibadan. I was thrown on the ground, beaten and tortured at the prison. After few hours, a policewoman in uniform and two other policemen in mufti came to prison and told the prison officers that they were from Felele Police Station and that they came in respect of my case.

“OC Records of the Agodi prison told the policemen to come inside. After some minutes a prison warden was sent to take off the handcuff on my hand, thereafter the policemen left the prison, leaving me behind.”

Eludoyin said he was surprised that the police officers left the prison without taking along for investigation, saying that he was then afraid of what would become his fate at the prison yard.

The Ile-Ife chieftain stated further: “After five hours at the prison, I was taken to the Anti Kidnapping Squad, Eleyele. At the station, the policemen conducted pregnancy scan for the woman that claimed that her pregnancy disappeared because she sat beside me. The result of the scan showed that the pregnancy was intact.

“I was expecting the policemen to free me after confirming the pregnancy and finding me innocent of the false accusation but they did not release me until the 10^th day. I spent 10 good days in detention without food or water. I went through hell. Nobody was ready to talk to me on my case.

“On the 10^th day which was on Tuesday, 26^th of July, I was taken to court and charge for conduct likely to cause breach of public peace at Magistrate Court 5. I was release on bail in the sum of N40, 000 and a surety who resides in Ibadan with landed property. The case was adjourned till September 14, 2016 for hearing.

“I met the bail conditions, but surprisingly, the magistrate was not available to sign the bail bond. The prison officers hurriedly bundled me into their vehicle around 2pm and drove me to prison. At the prison, they took my data: took my photograph, that of ears and anus, my fingerprint and others.

“I told the prison wardens that I am not a prisoner and that I have been given bail. I was treated like a harden criminal. While that was on, the OC Records of the prison came out and told a junior officer to go and meet the magistrate that heard my case not to sign the bail bond.

“I slept the prison overnight and on the 27^th of July, my bail bond was signed and I was released. At the prison, my MTN and Etisalat sims, a memory card and a sum of N1000 was seized from me and they were not given back to me. I was asked to come back to collect it the following day but I did not go because I knew they were up to something.

“Also, over N11, 000 was seized from me at the Anti-Kidnapping Squad. The police did not return the money to me also. I am a Nigerian and a good citizen. I have never committed any crime. I want the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris and the Comptroller General of the Prison Service, Ja’afaru Ahmed to come to my aid. I want them to investigate the matter. I want justice.”

When contacted on phone to get the side of the police on Eludoyin’s story, the Police Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Police Command, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu did not answer the phone calls put on his line severally; neither did he reply the text message sent to his line.