A Nigerian human rights organisation, Initiative for the Downtrodden, has called for the immediate dismissal of a police officer, Inspector Adeyemo Kayode (Force No. 387840), over what it described as “unlawful arrest, illegal detention, torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, and malicious prosecution” of its president, Comrade Edibo Kenpeacemaker Onojah.
The group made the call in a strongly worded petition addressed to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, urging the disciplinary body to take decisive action against the officer and his accomplices in the harrowing six-year saga. The petition, signed by the organisation’s Head of Media, Anaja Michael Marijata, also implicated a retired officer, Abdulrahman Alade, who at the time of the incident in 2018 served as the Area Commander of Area ‘P’ Command, Alagbado/Ipaja, Lagos.
According to the group, the ordeal began on December 11, 2018, when Onojah, accompanied by two lawyers from the organisation, visited the Area ‘P’ Police Command to secure the bail of a detained citizen, Mr. Glory. Upon arrival at the Area Crime Office, they were directed to Inspector Kayode, who allegedly acknowledged his involvement in the case and declared that the matter was “90% settled.” However, he reportedly demanded a bribe of N30,000 as a precondition for granting bail.
“Our president, as a principled human rights defender, demanded to know the purpose of the N30,000, at which point Inspector Kayode brazenly told him it was a mandatory condition to process the bail,” the petition stated. “When our president refused to yield to the extortion attempt, the officer turned hostile, threatening them and warning that failure to comply would result in serious consequences.”
The group further alleged that Onojah was immediately subjected to physical assault and torture by Kayode and other officers on duty. “They pounced on our president, beating and humiliating him in the most degrading manner. He was thrown behind the police counter, his personal belongings were forcefully taken from him, and he was unlawfully detained without any justification,” the letter reads.
The organisation described the subsequent legal journey as a “nightmare” that dragged on for six years before Onojah was finally discharged and acquitted in court. It noted that the prolonged ordeal not only violated his constitutional rights but also inflicted deep psychological trauma on him and his family.
While commending the judiciary for eventually delivering justice, the group insists that the police officers involved must not go unpunished. “This petition does not foreclose our readiness to pursue further legal redress. However, we demand swift and decisive disciplinary action from the Police Service Commission to ensure that officers like Kayode are not allowed to tarnish the image of the Nigerian Police Force,” the group warned.
The Initiative for the Downtrodden urged the Commission to act urgently in line with its mandate of ensuring accountability, justice, and public confidence in the nation’s policing system.
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