Allegations of Police Brutality in Osogbo
An Osogbo-based lounge owner, Adeyemi Adekunle, has come forward with serious allegations against a senior officer from the Osun State Police Command. The officer, identified as the second-in-command of the Officer in Charge of the Anti-Robbery squad, is accused of subjecting Adekunle to unprovoked brutality.
Adekunle shared his account with journalists in Osogbo on Thursday, detailing an incident that took place last Friday at his establishment. He claims that a minor disagreement with the police officer escalated into a severe act of violence. According to him, the officer arrived at his lounge and, following the altercation, he was arrested and taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Osun Police Headquarters, where he allegedly suffered physical abuse.
The lounge owner showed journalists the visible scars of wounds he sustained, which he attributes to being beaten with a cutlass by the police. Adekunle emphasized that the officer who ordered his arrest did not specify the actual offense he had committed.
The Incident Details
On October 31st, around 5:30 pm, a customer entered the lounge to purchase shawarma. Afterward, the customer approached the manager to discuss an issue. Adekunle was unaware of what the customer was discussing with the manager.
As the situation unfolded, he noticed three staff members gathering with the customer. He intervened, asking them not to gather like that. He told them that if anything happened, they should speak to the manager and return to their posts. However, the customer refused, insisting that the three staff members should not leave. Adekunle argued that having three staff idle while customers were waiting was inappropriate. The customer then asked if Adekunle knew who he was, to which Adekunle responded that he did not.
Following this exchange, the customer returned with some police operatives. They pointed at Adekunle and demanded that he sit on the floor. When Adekunle asked what he had done wrong, he was forcibly pushed into a police vehicle and taken to the state CID.
The Alleged Abuse
Upon arrival at the anti-robbery squad, Adekunle claims he was ordered to remove his clothes and slippers. He was then subjected to beating with a stick and a cutlass without being informed of any offense. Despite his repeated questions about the nature of his alleged crime, the attackers continued to hit him without explanation. Eventually, he was released.
Police Response
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Osun Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed that the matter had been reported. Ojelabi stated, “We are just aware of the matter. In fact, on the day of the incident, I was called when it happened on Friday, and it was on Monday when I got to the office that I made the inquiry about it.”
He added, “The authorities have decided to have a full-scale investigation into the matter to know what really happened. So we are still on the matter. We are investigating, and between now and tomorrow, even presently, the officer is under investigation; he knows what he is feeling right now.”