Ondo Police Officers Allegedly Torture Man, Days Later He Died

The family of a 23-year-old man, Dada Yusuf, is in dispute with the Ondo State Police Command over the circumstances leading to his death, which occurred days after he was detained and allegedly tortured by police operatives.

The family insisted that Yusuf died from complications sustained during his detention, reviving fresh concerns about cases of police brutality across the country.

In an exclusive interview with the Punch Newspaper, a relative of the deceased, Afolabi Bisoye, said Yusuf was arrested by members of the Scorpion Squad in Akure on 31 August and subjected to severe torture while in custody.

According to him, the young man collapsed while being held, and the family was only informed after he had been taken to hospital. He explained that Yusuf was first admitted to the Police Clinic in Akure before being referred to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where he spent several days on oxygen before passing away on 7 September 2023.

“Yusuf Israel Dada was harassed and unlawfully arrested by the Scorpion Squad, a team led by Inspector Olayiya Kasim, stationed at the Federal University of Technology, while he was on his way to Akure. He was brutally beaten to the point of falling into a coma. Instead of ensuring his safety, the officers attempted to cover up the incident. At the clinic, it was revealed to the family that Yusuf had sustained a gunshot wound to the chest while in custody. Despite referral to FMC Owo, he did not survive,” Afolabi alleged, adding that witnesses confirmed the operatives were intoxicated during the incident and harassed bystanders who tried to intervene.

The family has called for accountability and justice, insisting that Yusuf’s death should not be swept under the carpet.

But when contacted, the spokesperson of the Ondo State Police Command, Olushola Alayande, rejected the allegations, maintaining that Yusuf died from medical complications unrelated to torture. He explained that the deceased was taken to the police hospital after falling ill and later referred for dialysis treatment at FMC Owo. “The command does not torture and does not condone torture. Their son died at FMC while undergoing dialysis, and that has nothing to do with torture. The Police Command practices the best ethics of the force and international standards of law enforcement,” Alayande said, while confirming that an investigation has begun into the matter.

Despite the denial, Yusuf’s death adds to the growing number of Nigerians whose lives have ended after encounters with the police. In February, a newlywed, Abdulmujid Oduga, reportedly died from torture at the Ikota Police Post in Ajah, Lagos, after a dispute with his neighbour led to his arrest. His case, like Yusuf’s, has intensified calls for police reform and accountability.

Citizens and rights advocates continue to urge the police authorities to stem the tide of brutality, warning that unchecked violations will only deepen public distrust in law enforcement.

Read Also: Patients Allege Forced Feeding, Poor Conditions at University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital