25th February, 2014
The Nigeria Police Force said it arrested 12 suspects in connection with the torture of three women at Oba Morufu International Market, Ejigbo, Lagos.
A statement issued by Frank Mba, the spokesman, said the suspects will soon be charged to court.
Two of the victims who were young girls were arrested along with their mother, tortured and dehumanized by persons who claimed to be members of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) providing security at the market, and some market association officials who subsequently extorted the sum of fifty thousand naira from the father of the victims in return for their freedom.
One of the victims, Juliana Agoma, a national of Republic of Benin, was moved back to Cotonou by her father where she subsequently died allegedly from injuries sustained in the torture.
The suspects arrested: Isiaka Waidi (the Baba-Oja of the market) said to be the mastermind of the dastardly act which culminated in the arrest, debasement, torture and extortion of fifty thousand naira, Haruna Abdullahi and Buhari Yusuf who mixed the concoction of pepper and alcoholic spirit that were applied on the bodies, including the privates of the victims.
Others include: Saheed Adisa, Lateef Tijani, Ahmed Adisa, Oloruntoyin Dauda a.k.a Iya-Oja, Adenkule Adenuga, Jimoh Busari and Azeez Akinosun.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, had ordered the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad and the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID to take over the investigation from the Lagos State Police Command.
Consequently, a team of crack detectives led by DCP Chris Ezike swung into action and conducted discreet investigations in line with standard best practices, during which the suspects in connection with the matter were arrested.
The Police have also declared wanted the following suspects: Tiri, an alleged member of OPC who was captured in the video footage and alleged to have stripped naked one of the victims, Ajoke Agoma, mother of the two other female victims in the presence of her husband, Otepa Oluronti, Akeem and Machael Abolore whose whereabouts are yet unknown but who have been implicated in having played active roles in the heinous crimes against the victims.
The Police Command in a statement by Frank Mba, the spokesman commended the Human Rights, Civil Society, and Women Support Groups as well as the Office of the Public Defender, Lagos State Ministry of Justice and all other stakeholders whose important contributions tremendously assisted the Police in their probe.