A Non-Governmental Organisation,
Pre-Adult Affairs Organisation, has accused the Lagos State Police
Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, of illegally arresting and
detaining a teacher, Abragahou Aminu, for four days for taking a picture
of a policeman.
The organisation said the detention of Aminu, a Togolese, constituted a breach of his fundamental human rights.
Executive Director, PAAO, Sandra Duru, in a petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police, said, “Aminu was arrested on Tuesday, November 19, 2013 and kept in four different police detention cells before his kangaroo arraignment on Saturday November 23, 2013.
“All moves made by us to secure his
release on bail were rejected by your men in Lagos command acting on the
instruction of Ngozi Braide, Lagos PPRO. Aminu was first arbitrarily
detained at Ketu Police Station, from Ketu, he was transferred to the
PPRO’s office where he was harassed for hours.
“From PPRO’s office, the innocent Aminu was transferred to Area F detention cell and from Area F to X-squad cell. All these acts of injustice and unprofessionalism were perpetrated by your men simply because a man was caught recording an incident with his mobile phone.
“From PPRO’s office, the innocent Aminu was transferred to Area F detention cell and from Area F to X-squad cell. All these acts of injustice and unprofessionalism were perpetrated by your men simply because a man was caught recording an incident with his mobile phone.
“Sir, may we bring to your notice that
the police possess no power to keep an accused in custody for more than
48 hours at most. We also remind you that the PPRO’s office is not meant
for the torturing of an accused. We also inform you that the X squad
detention cell that Aminu was detained for about 96 hours wasn’t meant
for civilians but for that of undisciplined officers.”
Duru alleged that Aminu wrote his
statement under duress while in police custody, while the pictures were
deleted from his phone.
She added that Aminu had lost his teaching job due to his prolonged detention and demanded that the police compensate him.
Braide however refuted Duru’s claims saying that Aminu was neither tortured nor threatened.
Braide said at least three police
personnel had been dismissed in the state after videos had been tendered
as evidence against them by members of the public.
She said, “The police as an organisation
have nothing against members of the public taking pictures or videoing
errant policemen in the act as this helps us to identify and expunge the
bad eggs among us.
“However, we do not condone people
taking pictures of policemen on duty for no reason at all. The nature of
our job involves security and we cannot allow people to be taking
pictures at random because the pictures could be used for ulterior
motives.
“The suspect was brought in and his
interrogation was recorded on video. Did you see any marks on his body?
He was detained at the X squad which investigated the matter. The
suspect was neither tortured nor beaten and has even been charged to
court.”
Investigation,
however, revealed that Aminu was taking pictures of a policeman having
an altercation with a commercial bus driver around Ketu Bus Stop on
November 19, 2013.
It was learnt that Aminu was caught by a
policewoman and subsequently detained at the Ketu Police Station after
which he was transferred to the office of the Police Public Relations
Officer the following day.
The suspect, while being interviewed by
Braide in the presence of journalists, said he took the pictures because
of the “action” at the scene.
He had said, “I am a French teacher at
the Supreme Education Foundation, Magodo. I was walking by the bus stop
when a policeman ordered a commercial bus to stop. The bus driver drove
recklessly and almost hit the policeman and an argument ensued.
“When I saw this, I brought out my phone
and began to take pictures because I felt the bus driver should not
have driven in such a manner. Also, I felt the policeman should not have
jumped in front of a speeding vehicle.”
The suspect was, however, made to write a
statement at the PPRO’s office and a letter of apology before being
transferred to the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters where he was
detained at the X Squad department
Culled From Punch Newspaper
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