Officers of the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Police Command have physically assaulted and brutalised a man at the Oko-Oba abattoir area of Lagos for refusing to allow his mobile phone to be searched.
The armed police officers who were identified as being attached to Agege Abattoir Police Station were seen in a viral video slapping, hitting and dragging the victim.
The victim who took to a Twitter account – @cashy0206, after the incident on Wednesday said that he committed no crime nor was any drug or evidence of crime found on him. He said his offence was his refusal to hand over his phone to the officers to be searched.
In some of his brief explanations of what happened, he said, “No drugs, nothing, no evidence, why asking for phone for no reason? I don’t know why.
“They don’t have any tangible reason all in the name of stop and search and no evidence and they changed it to bring your phone that’s where it started.
“I need justice, please. We didn’t deserve this, 27 years of age own a car and that’s a problem. They want us to live in poverty. Why beating me cause I didn’t give you my phone?”
Some Twitter users who claim to know the officers identified one of them as notorious for such illegal actions.
Writing in pidgin English, a Twitter user, @Booms883 said, “Agege Abattoir Police Station officers b dis. I sabi all these guys with their illegal movement. They move with korope mini bus. Their DPO knows about it. In fact, that short police na muscle e dey drive, u can never see him wear uniform.”
Reacting to the incident, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, asked the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, to fish out the policemen for investigation.
Adejobi also asked the victim to send a direct text message to him as he needs some information from him.
“Ben, fish out these policemen for investigation. We need to look into this. And the victim to send an sms to me, personally as I need some info from him or them. I am interested in this disgusting scene/drama,” the Force PRO said.
