In a shocking display of police brutality, three plainclothes officers from the Red House Police Station in Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, assaulted Nigerian musician Damilola Ogunsanya, shattering his kneecap with an iron baseball bat. The officers, who reportedly offered only ₦200,000 in compensation after Ogunsanya spent ₦5 million on surgery, have yet to face disciplinary action.
Speaking to Sahara Reporters, Damilola recounted the harrowing ordeal that unfolded on December 17, 2024, around 7 PM, as he stood beside his car waiting for his personal assistant.
Without warning, three men in black T-shirts—later identified as police officers—pounced on him. One grabbed his clothing aggressively, while the others joined in, raining blows on him with an iron baseball bat.
“At first, I thought they were criminals. They never identified themselves or showed any police ID. I tried to escape, but they overpowered me. The next thing I knew, they had fractured my kneecap,” he said.
Bleeding and in excruciating pain, he was dragged to their vehicle and taken to the police station, where he saw two other detainees, including a teenage boy who had also been brutally beaten.
Once at the Red House Police Station, the officers allegedly staged a false narrative.
“They placed some alcoholic drinks and firecrackers in front of me and took pictures as ‘evidence.’ They accused me of drinking and causing a disturbance—none of which was true,” Ogunsanya revealed.
His phone and car keys were confiscated, and he was forced to sit on the floor. When his mother arrived, she was denied entry, and his desperate pleas for medical attention fell on deaf ears.
As the night progressed, the pain intensified. By 2 AM, his leg had swollen to an alarming size, yet his repeated appeals for help were ignored. Instead, an officer who reported his worsening condition to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr. Kenneth, was met with threats.
“The DPO told me that if I didn’t stop complaining, he would break my other leg,” Ogunsanya recalled.
By morning, his family and church members had gathered outside the station, demanding his release. A church member escalated the matter to a commissioner in Abuja, who immediately intervened.
However, before letting him go, the DPO forced him to write a false confession, admitting to drinking and causing a disturbance.
“I had no choice. I was in immense pain and just wanted to leave that hellhole alive,” he lamented.
The aftermath of the unprovoked attack has been devastating.
“I was supposed to perform at an event that night. Instead, I ended up in a hospital bed, fighting to save my leg,” he said.
Doctors confirmed that his kneecap was fractured, requiring extensive surgery. Over the past two months, he has spent between ₦5 million and ₦7 million on medical treatment and lost income from canceled performances.
“My career has been put on hold. I can’t work, I can’t perform, and I have no idea when I’ll fully recover,” he said.
Yet, when he confronted the officers responsible, they offered him a paltry ₦200,000 as compensation—a fraction of his medical expenses and lost earnings.
“They robbed me of my health, my livelihood, and my time. They should be held accountable for what they did to me,” he demanded.
When Sahara Reporters contacted DPO Kenneth, he initially denied knowledge of the attack, claiming that no officers from his station were involved.
“I cannot recall the exact details of the incident. If it really happened, why is he just coming forward now?” he questioned.
However, a voice recording obtained by Sahara Reporters contradicts his claims. In it, he admits that his officers were involved and that Damilola was injured during the arrest.
Despite this, no disciplinary action has been taken, and the officers remain unpunished.
“I even told his elder brother that when I receive my salary, I will personally raise ₦200,000 to help,” the DPO stated, as though a token gesture could undo the irreparable damage caused by his officers.
As the case gains public attention, human rights activists and legal experts are demanding that the Nigerian police hierarchy take swift action.
“This is a gross violation of human rights. The officers responsible must be identified, dismissed, and prosecuted. Anything less is an insult to justice,” a legal expert told Sahara Reporters.
For Damilola Ogunsanya, the battle is far from over.
“They can’t give me back the time I’ve lost, but they must take responsibility. They should face justice,” he insisted.
This case raises serious concerns about police brutality, abuse of power, and a system that allows rogue officers to act with impunity. Will the Nigerian Police Force step up, or will this be yet another case swept under the rug?
The nation watches.
PIONEER NEWS 