My
son was tortured to death-Grieving father
Residents of Epetedo area of Lagos Island yesterday
besieged the Area ‘A’ Police Command, Lion Building, threatening to burn it to
the ground.
This followed the alleged torture and death of
22-year-old gospel singer, Ifedolapo
Atonsunyi, by policemen attached to Adeniji Adele Police Station. The
deceased died in police custody on Saturday.
Another, boy, Tope, an ulcer patient was said to
have collapsed and lost consciousness while in police custody yesterday.
The singer’s father, Pastor Gabriel Atansuyi,
alleged that police tortured and killed his son because of N200, 000 Iphone. He
further said that after killing Ifedolapo, police told him that his son
committed suicide.
Yesterday, angry residents surrounded Lion Building;
headquarter of Adeniji Adele Police Station, protesting the death of Ifedolapo.
The residents also demanded for the release of over 100 members of the community,
including a pregnant woman, who were still in police detention.
Trouble was said to have started on Friday, after
task force officials and policemen embarked on arbitrary arrest of adults and
teenagers in the community.
The police and task force raid continued on Sunday night,
during which more than 30 people were dragged into a police waiting van.
The residents alleged that some of those arrested
had to bribe the policemen at the station before they regained their freedom.
According to the residents, Ifedolapo was arrested
alongside 195 persons at a night club on Friday, at Edumare Street, area of
Lagos Island.
The joint operation was carried out by officials of
the Lagos State Task Force on Special Offences and Enforcement Unit and
policemen from Lion Building and Adeniji Adele. The raid commenced around 12am
on Friday.
Operatives of Area A Command, Lion Building, Lagos
Island yesterday fired tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd.
The residents lamented that the police were yet to
tell them why they were arrested.
While Ifedolapo died on Saturday at the police post,
Tope, who was suffering from ulcer, collapsed and lost consciousness on Monday
morning.
Although the police accused Ifedolapo of selling an
iPhone put in his care, his father, Gabriel insisted his son was tortured to
make him confess to a crime he didn’t commit.
Gabriel said that the owner of the phone, worth N200,
000, engaged some miscreants to torture his son before he was handed over to
the police.
Gabriel explained: “My son said the phone got lost,
but the owner insisted he sold it. When I met with him on Saturday morning in
the police cell, he showed me the injuries inflicted on his body by those boys
before he was handed over to the Jankara Police Post. He said the phone
actually got lost but the torture made to admit stealing it. I agreed to pay
the money. Around 3pm on Saturday, while I was trying to get him food, I was
called to come and see the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Adeniji Adele Police
Station for a settlement. On getting there, I was told to wait for the
complainant. The DPO later took me to the Area Commander in Lion Building, who
told me Ifedolapo was dead. He said he committed suicide. But, he was murdered.
He had no reason to commit suicide. He was a gospel musician and easy going. He
had put some lyrics together and he was supposed to produce them by Easter
period. Now, they have truncated his vision.”
One of the protesters, Sijuade Omowarere, said the
party at the night club was peaceful until around 2am, when policemen, in six
vans stormed the club.
He added that many people sustained injuries while
trying to evade arrest.
He said: “We were at the club and everybody was
drinking. Suddenly around 2am, policemen came in and said ‘everybody, on your
knees!’ We were all confused and started running out. Some people got injured.
About 196 persons were arrested and taken to Lion Building. There was no fight,
no violence. Those arrested had been in detention since Friday.
“On Saturday, Tope’s father was said to have gone to
Lion Building and explained his health condition to the police. He was taken to
the Lagos Island General Hospital on Sunday; he didn’t respond to treatment. He
was returned to the station. He fainted this morning.”
Another resident, Abayomi Johnson, said: “Since
Saturday, no policeman has come out to address us on why those people were
arrested. We learnt that one boy died in the cell. Instead of them to address
us, they chased us away with canisters of teargas.”
Kunle Saheed said: “The victims were only
celebrating and enjoying themselves when the policemen stormed the hotel and
arrested them. The parents of Ifedayo were not around, but when those of us who
knew him went to the station to bail him, we were surprised to hear from one of
the policemen that he committed suicide in cell.”
Mrs. Folashade Olusanya said that her 13-year-old
son was arrested and was not able to write his final exams.
She said: “My son was contracted to prepare barbecue
at the club when the policemen stormed the hotel; I don’t know where to get
money to bail him. People are paying N70, 000 for bail.”
When contacted on the matter, the Lagos State Police
Public Relations Officer, Mr. Adeyemi Famous –Cole promised to get back to our
correspondent.
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