Youngster, Oluwatobi Badmus, Was Teargased To Death—Ondo Police Officer
A police officer with the Ondo State command of the Nigeria Police “B Division” in Akure has detailed to SaharaReporters how his fellow officers tortured 20-year-old Mohammed Oluwatobi Badmus to death
The late Badmus was the only son of a popular hotelier, Raheem Afolayemi Badmus, owner of Ages Hotel located along Ondo Road in Akure.
The ordeal of the deceased youngster started when Akure-based “Prophet” Bisi Adedugbagbe of the Celestial Church of God, said Mr. Badmus had stolen his phone.
Our police source disclosed that police officers at “B” division detained the late Badmus at their station and teargased him until he collapsed in a state of coma. “Once he was in a coma, the policemen at the station then hurriedly wanted him released to his family because they suspected he could die,” said our police source who sought anonymity and spoke in Yoruba language.
“Corporal Adesola Awodeyi and Prophet Bisi should be held responsible for the death of the boy,” said the source, adding that he felt helpless as the corporal tormented the young man with the approval of the “prophet.”
“The boy was teargased at close range, after he had been beaten mercilessly at the mini-detention room in the station,” the officer said. He disclosed that the beating and torture with teargas was to coerce Badmus to confess to stealing the phone.
“The boy refused to confess to the crime and he was battered as a result. Some of the other officers at the police station heard the screams of the boy. They advised Corporal Awodeyi and other two officers to take it easy with the boy, but they refused.”
Stating that the torture left him enraged, our source revealed that the “prophet” was present during the torture, “but he showed no compassion for the boy. All he wanted was for the boy to confess to the crime [of stealing a phone]. He was urging the corporal to keep pummeling [Badmus].”
The officer accused the “prophet” of bragging that he would deal with the youngster until Badmus confessed and returned the phone he allegedly stole.
Our source suggested that “Prophet” Bisi Adedugbagbe set upon his victim perhaps because his father is an influential Muslim in the town.
He added that the corporal who oversaw the youngster’s torture was so desperate to torture Badmus that he forgot to ask the victim to write a statement.
“We have no legal record of the boy in our station now because they didn't even ask him to write a statement,” said our source. He added: “The statement should have been the first thing, but Corporal Awodeyo forgot to initiate that. Already he has put himself into trouble for that.
"We can't deny the fact that he was brought down here. He was actually here but we have no legal record backing up his presence.”
Our source disclosed that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the station had asked for Badmus’ statement as soon as he received a petition on the youngster’s torture, adding that the corporal was unable to produce any.
“The DPO learned about the case through a petition sent to him from the Commissioner of Police. He summoned Corporal Awodeyo for the statement,” said our source. According to the source, the rogue corporal sent for Oluwaseun Badmus, the sister of the deceased, to come over and write a statement on behalf of her late brother, but she refused.
SaharaReporters was told that Mr. Badmus was dragged into the station in handcuffs, his hands secured behind him. Our source said the youngster’s body was bruised, his face swollen, and his eyes bloodshot and nearly swollen shut.
“He could not say a word or stand on his legs by the time he was released from detention,” said our police source.
The late youngster’s father, Mr. Raheem Afolayemi Badmus, said his son could be stubborn, but added that the young man would never have stolen. He said he learned about his son’s death from friends who found it difficult to break the news to him. The young Oluwatobi’s remains had been deposited at the hospital's morgue before his father was informed of his death.
The late youngster’s sister, Oluwaseun Badmus, confirmed that the corporal who tortured her brother had contacted her to come over to the police station to write a statement, but she declined. She described the invitation as a ploy to cover up the murder of her brother.
Bakare Asani, a lawyer representing the Badmus family, wrote a petition on the youngster’s case to now former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar. The petition accused the police officers at the 'B’ Division police station, Akure, of murdering the youngster.
The petition, a copy of which was obtained by SaharaReporters, alleged that the deceased sustained internal injuries as a result of the gruesome torture by the police.
A medical report issued by the hospital where the youngster died also stated that Oluwatobi Badmus suffered serious internal injuries. The report added that the victim had inhaled a chemical that caused serious bodily damage.
“The boy was brought in here and he was breathing through the help of an oxygen and we attended to him immediately after they had collected a card,” said a staff at the hospital. He added that the deceased “had inhaled a heavy dose of the substance of a canister which had already damaged his brain and caused serious disorder in his system before he died.”
Our correspondent learnt that the deceased was rushed to three hospitals, none of which could rescue him, before he finally died.
Our police source disclosed that the killer corporal and the prophet have been arrested and are in police custody. “The case is now being handled by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ondo State Police Command, Akure area command,” said our source.
SaharaReporters learnt that the outgoing Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, had taken no action on the petition before his exit.
A member of Prophet Bisi Adedugbagbe’s church said the church had been deserted. He added that a weekly night vigil holding at the church had been put on hold.
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