POLICE
BRUTALITY AND RECKLESSNESS THAT LED TO THE SUDDEN DEATH OF MOHAMMED
OLUWATOBI BADMUS----A CALL ON INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE TO DO THE
NEEDFUL!
It is a mouth-gaping surprise that in the world of civilisation and democratic development
today that police still harbour and nourish brutal and reckless
attitude and behaviour that cut the life of Mohammed Oluwatobi
Badmus(20) at his prime.
For the sake and understanding of those who have not been acquitted with the sad story of the death of Mohammed Oluwatobi Badmus, I will like to present the story as told by the sister of the diceased who was involved in the case, relating with both the police and hospital staff where the lad gave up the ghost, from the beginning. Now, hear from the horse's mouth:
Oluwaseun, the late Oluwatobi Badmus' sister who was with him when the police came for him confirmed his arrest and torture at the police station. She said: “I was at home when some people close to prophet Bisi called me, that my younger brother, Tobi, had stolen a smart phone from his church. It was surprising, and I told him my brother can’t do such a thing. Immediately I called my mum’s uncle (brother Sola) with whom Tobi was staying to inquire about the allegation and if he saw any phone with Tobi and he confirmed he saw a phone with him and had already collected the phone”.
She explained that she told the clergyman that his uncle had confirmed finding such a phone with late Badmus and that she had called him on his phone to meet her at the prophet’s church.
She said that though the late Badmus agreed to meet with her at the church, the prophet was impatient and advised that they go and meet him wherever he was.
For the sake and understanding of those who have not been acquitted with the sad story of the death of Mohammed Oluwatobi Badmus, I will like to present the story as told by the sister of the diceased who was involved in the case, relating with both the police and hospital staff where the lad gave up the ghost, from the beginning. Now, hear from the horse's mouth:
Oluwaseun, the late Oluwatobi Badmus' sister who was with him when the police came for him confirmed his arrest and torture at the police station. She said: “I was at home when some people close to prophet Bisi called me, that my younger brother, Tobi, had stolen a smart phone from his church. It was surprising, and I told him my brother can’t do such a thing. Immediately I called my mum’s uncle (brother Sola) with whom Tobi was staying to inquire about the allegation and if he saw any phone with Tobi and he confirmed he saw a phone with him and had already collected the phone”.
She explained that she told the clergyman that his uncle had confirmed finding such a phone with late Badmus and that she had called him on his phone to meet her at the prophet’s church.
She said that though the late Badmus agreed to meet with her at the church, the prophet was impatient and advised that they go and meet him wherever he was.
“On getting to Tobi’s place, it was argument all through
between the two, with claims that the phone doesn’t belong to the
prophet. The prophet now told us that he had already informed the police
at B division Oke Aro about the matter. It was at that point, Tobi
suggested we move down to the Police station, where he believed the
matter would be resolved”.
She further stated that three police officers, led by a corporal with the name tag ‘Adesola Awodeyi’ held
several talks with the prophet at the front of the Police station before they arrested her late brother.
When they were dragging him away, she said she heard use of the term, ‘Baptismal Room,’ and believed that was where he was tutored.
“Close to an hour later, the prophet and the cohort (Policemen) with whom he carried out the plot came
out with my brother with his face swollen, vision blurred and his eyes balls reddish and bulging and couldn’t compose himself while he can’t also stand on his legs”.
She alleged that instead of the policemen to take him back inside the station, he was handed over to them with directions that they go home, adding that they drove back home in the prophet’s vehicle amidst argument and anger over the maltreatment in the station.
She said when the prophet dropped them and departed, her brother’s condition worsened. He was crying, vomiting and holding his stomach and complaining of a headache.
“I picked my phone and called prophet Bisi who pleaded we take him (Tobi) to the hospital and that he would join us there,” he said. He was rushed to the State Specialist Hospital Akure, but that he could not be attended to because of the ongoing strike of doctors, and later to Liberty Hospital in Oluwatuyi quarters also in Akure, where doctors directed them to their family hospital.
At Hope Land Hospital, Lafe junction in Akure, where Badmus died.
At the same time, a nurse who spoke on the condition of anonymity said: “The boy was brought in here and he was breathing through the help of oxygen and we attended to him immediately after they had collected a card. Report with us showed that he had inhaled a heavy dose of chemical substance which has already damaged his brain and caused a serious disorder in his body system before he died”.
Days after Tobi’s death, Oluwaseun said the police, in an effort to cover up the case called her to come over to the station to write a statement for the deceased because they had forgotten to get him to write one, but that she declined.
As a trial lawyer of enormous experiences and exposure in robbery and murder cases, the following are my impeculate observations:
1. The three policemen have personal relationship with Prophet Bisi; they are either his church members or part of the people that come to him for spiritual consultation.
2. The said policemen judged Mohammed Oluwatobi Badmus unheard as he was not given chance to make or write his statement.
3. Prophet Bisi is a disgrace to Christian fold as he did not exhibit attribute of showing mercy and compassion. If the act was committed, a genuine pastor would still pray for a change of habit and bind the stealing devil in the lad.
4. Prophet Bisi accepted responsibility for the brutality and molestation of the deceased as he came back to take him to the hospital.
5. Even if the young lad was caught in the act, it is not the duty of police to decide the appropriate punishment, rather it is the court that can rule him to either be guilty or not.
6. The decision of the police by handing over the accused to his family without making entery in police diary; without obtaining statement goes to show that they knew that level of damage they have done to him. One can conclude without iota of doubt that they did not want him to die in their police station.
7. Both the policemen and Prophet Bisi are responsible for wanton waste of life of Mohammed Oluwatobi Badmus and they should be charged with killing with malice afore thought (Murder) under the Criminal Code Law.
8. I am using this medium to demand for compensation of Five Billion Naira for the family of Mohammed Oluwatobi Badmus who was cut down in his prime with the conspiracy of Prophet Bisi and Nigerian Police of "B" Division, Akure. This will go a little way in assuaging the feeling of the irreparable loss!
In conclusion, much as I symphatise with Mr. Raheem Badmus who lost his only son to police brutality and abuse of power, I am equally ready to lock horns with Nigeria Police Force to make sure justice is done. I will not limit my effort(s) to Facebook alone; I will institute a case of human right abuse and involve all the civil society organisations in this respect. Even though, the dead cannot be brought back, I will implore Nigeria Police that she does not do anything to cover the atrocity of the bad eggs that soil the name of the force and made sure she work in line of justice. This is a test case for the newly appointed acting IG of the Nigerian Police Force.
Once again, may thy Lord give the family of the deceased the fortitude to bear the pains of this traumatic experience.
TOLU BABALEYE ESQ writes from Wuse Zone 5, Abuja-FCT.
She further stated that three police officers, led by a corporal with the name tag ‘Adesola Awodeyi’ held
several talks with the prophet at the front of the Police station before they arrested her late brother.
When they were dragging him away, she said she heard use of the term, ‘Baptismal Room,’ and believed that was where he was tutored.
“Close to an hour later, the prophet and the cohort (Policemen) with whom he carried out the plot came
out with my brother with his face swollen, vision blurred and his eyes balls reddish and bulging and couldn’t compose himself while he can’t also stand on his legs”.
She alleged that instead of the policemen to take him back inside the station, he was handed over to them with directions that they go home, adding that they drove back home in the prophet’s vehicle amidst argument and anger over the maltreatment in the station.
She said when the prophet dropped them and departed, her brother’s condition worsened. He was crying, vomiting and holding his stomach and complaining of a headache.
“I picked my phone and called prophet Bisi who pleaded we take him (Tobi) to the hospital and that he would join us there,” he said. He was rushed to the State Specialist Hospital Akure, but that he could not be attended to because of the ongoing strike of doctors, and later to Liberty Hospital in Oluwatuyi quarters also in Akure, where doctors directed them to their family hospital.
At Hope Land Hospital, Lafe junction in Akure, where Badmus died.
At the same time, a nurse who spoke on the condition of anonymity said: “The boy was brought in here and he was breathing through the help of oxygen and we attended to him immediately after they had collected a card. Report with us showed that he had inhaled a heavy dose of chemical substance which has already damaged his brain and caused a serious disorder in his body system before he died”.
Days after Tobi’s death, Oluwaseun said the police, in an effort to cover up the case called her to come over to the station to write a statement for the deceased because they had forgotten to get him to write one, but that she declined.
As a trial lawyer of enormous experiences and exposure in robbery and murder cases, the following are my impeculate observations:
1. The three policemen have personal relationship with Prophet Bisi; they are either his church members or part of the people that come to him for spiritual consultation.
2. The said policemen judged Mohammed Oluwatobi Badmus unheard as he was not given chance to make or write his statement.
3. Prophet Bisi is a disgrace to Christian fold as he did not exhibit attribute of showing mercy and compassion. If the act was committed, a genuine pastor would still pray for a change of habit and bind the stealing devil in the lad.
4. Prophet Bisi accepted responsibility for the brutality and molestation of the deceased as he came back to take him to the hospital.
5. Even if the young lad was caught in the act, it is not the duty of police to decide the appropriate punishment, rather it is the court that can rule him to either be guilty or not.
6. The decision of the police by handing over the accused to his family without making entery in police diary; without obtaining statement goes to show that they knew that level of damage they have done to him. One can conclude without iota of doubt that they did not want him to die in their police station.
7. Both the policemen and Prophet Bisi are responsible for wanton waste of life of Mohammed Oluwatobi Badmus and they should be charged with killing with malice afore thought (Murder) under the Criminal Code Law.
8. I am using this medium to demand for compensation of Five Billion Naira for the family of Mohammed Oluwatobi Badmus who was cut down in his prime with the conspiracy of Prophet Bisi and Nigerian Police of "B" Division, Akure. This will go a little way in assuaging the feeling of the irreparable loss!
In conclusion, much as I symphatise with Mr. Raheem Badmus who lost his only son to police brutality and abuse of power, I am equally ready to lock horns with Nigeria Police Force to make sure justice is done. I will not limit my effort(s) to Facebook alone; I will institute a case of human right abuse and involve all the civil society organisations in this respect. Even though, the dead cannot be brought back, I will implore Nigeria Police that she does not do anything to cover the atrocity of the bad eggs that soil the name of the force and made sure she work in line of justice. This is a test case for the newly appointed acting IG of the Nigerian Police Force.
Once again, may thy Lord give the family of the deceased the fortitude to bear the pains of this traumatic experience.
TOLU BABALEYE ESQ writes from Wuse Zone 5, Abuja-FCT.
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