•IGP Tunji Disu

A Lagos-based barber, Babajide Adelowo, has died a day after he was released from police custody, where he allegedly spent 28 days following his arrest over suspected possession of firearms.

According to the family, operatives of the X-Squad of the Lagos State Police Command arrested Adelowo at his shop in Iba Estate, Iyana-Iba area of the state, on October 6 and released him on Tuesday, November 3.

The family, however, accused the operatives of subjecting him to severe torture while in detention.

They alleged that the barber was repeatedly suspended from a weightlifting rod with his hands and legs tied, leaving him unable to walk or feed himself without assistance.

The family also alleged that the police arrested him without a warrant, seized items from his shop and restricted his access to his family and lawyers during his detention.

The deceased’s uncle, Samson Adelowo, said, “They came to arrest my brother on the grounds that he owned firearms. They searched the shop, broke the ceiling and opened the water tank, but they could not find anything.“What I found disturbing was that they also took his generator, chairs and other materials from the shop. What was the connection between the allegation against him and the items they removed from his shop?

“They seized his phone and did not allow him to contact anybody in his family. We had to engage lawyers to follow up on the matter, but throughout the 28 days he spent there, the lawyers were only allowed to see him about two or three times, with restricted access at other times.”

According to him, the estate chairman, who accompanied the lawyers to meet the police team, was detained and made to part with N50,000 to secure his release.

“The estate chairman went with the lawyers to meet the team leader. He explained that Babajide was known in the community as a peaceful person and that he was one of the estate’s security officers.

But instead of listening to him, the officer allegedly threatened to detain him.

The chairman eventually paid N50,000 before he was allowed to go.

He said Adelowo’s condition deteriorated while in detention before he was eventually released to his family.

Adelowo’s wife, Mariam, told our correspondent on Saturday that her husband could barely walk and appeared extremely weak when the police handed him over to the family by the roadside.

She said the police brought him to the PWD bus stop in a vehicle and helped him into the family’s car before handing over a referral note from the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, alongside a bag containing medical supplies.

“When we saw him, he could not even walk properly. He was so pale and fragile. The police officers were the ones guiding him into our car. They told us to handle him carefully and take him straight to the hospital.”

The Nigerian Army has recorded fresh operational successes against terrorists and kidnappers in Niger State, rescuing 16 abducted persons and recovering weapons, ammunition and logistics items.

Troops of 18 Brigade conducted the operation on November 5 following intelligence on the movement of suspected terrorists from Mashegu towards Rijiyan Nagwamatse in Kontagora Local Government Area. During an ambush, the troops engaged the criminals, neutralising an unconfirmed number and freeing the 16 victims.

Items recovered include two AK-47 rifles, seven magazines, three RPG bombs, 33 motorcycles, assorted ammunition and more than four million naira in cash.

In a separate operation, troops intercepted terrorists moving from Kebbi State into Niger State, forcing them to retreat into the forest.

The rescued victims received first aid and were handed over to the relevant authorities for reunification with their families. The Commander of 18 Brigade commended the troops for their gallantry and urged them to sustain the offensive against criminal elements.

The Army said the successes highlight its growing operational capacity and commitment to restoring security across affected communities.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Faisal Abdulrasheed Maina, the fugitive son of former Pension Reform Task Team chairman Abdulrasheed Maina, and handed him over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Security sources said Faisal, who had been on the run since 2020, was trailed and apprehended by DSS operatives in the Karsana area of Abuja after intelligence indicated he had secretly returned to the country.

Faisal was earlier prosecuted by the EFCC on a three-count charge of money laundering and conspiracy. He jumped bail and fled the country. His trial continued in his absence, and in 2021 Justice Okon Abang convicted and sentenced him to 14 years’ imprisonment.

The court ordered that he be arrested wherever found in Nigeria and remanded in a correctional centre to serve his sentence. It also directed that, if located abroad, the Federal Government should take lawful steps to secure his extradition.

A source said the handover to the EFCC would facilitate enforcement of the court’s judgment and ensure Faisal serves his prison term.