How Lagos Police Arrested Me In Front Of My House, Charged Me With 'Dangerous Hangout'—Former Detainee

 

An Interior decorator, Dapo Oguntimehin has narrated how officers from the Orile Iganmu Police Station arrested him and others while relaxing outside their house. 

According to the young man, he was arrested alongside four other men and they were all charged with ‘Dangerous hangout.

He, however, said two of the men were allowed to go back into the house following the physical disability of one and the job status of the other. 

Dapo added that while at the police station, he took photos of the deplorable condition of the cell and shared them on social media which attracted public outrage. 

He said this earned him a transfer to another cell albeit at the Lagos Taskforce office, Oshodi after which he was released on bail.

He also alleged that officers questioned him for sharing the photos on social media and not channelling the same energy to condemn the embezzlement by senior officers of funds meant for the welfare of members of the Nigeria Police Force.

He also stated that the officers implied that the money obtained from detainees was being used to rebuild the police stations that were burnt during last year's #EndSARS protests.  

He said, in a video shared , “On August 3, about 11 pm, we were outside the house taking fresh air, then we saw men of the Nigeria Police Force, they arrived in their shuttle bus and asked us to go in, they were with a gun so I didn't want to argue, I had to follow them. 

We were four in number but one of us has leg pain and he was allowed to go, he entered the compound, the other guy said he was an OPC guy, they allowed him to go but me and the other guy, we were close to them, so we couldn't run away, we were taken to Orile Iganmu police station. 

They collected our phones, but I only gave them my small phone, they took our slippers from us and asked us to enter the cell. People were already there, the cell was filled up, it was messy and stinky, I had to use my clothe to cover my face, I couldn't breathe.

Later on, I went to that place that stinks and took a photo because I wanted to show evidence. I copied those I could copy and shared online. 

In the morning, the DPO came to the cell and started shouting that who called Abuja. Instantly, they asked me to come outside, took my phone from me.

I thought they wanted to beat me but they said they would profile my case to the task force office. They took us (myself and the guy I was arrested with) to Ikeja in handcuffs. They pushed us into the bus. They said it is because I posted a photo and it is going viral. They took us to Lagos State Task Office in Oshodi, they took down my name and locked us in the cell again, just that this cell wasn't as bad as the one in Orile Iganmu. The one in Orile, you can't keep a goat there, it won't survive it. 

So, we slept at the task force cell that night, the next day, I saw my father. I told him what happened and he was surprised and he said he thought I fought or something, I told him no I didn't engage in any fight that there was no light and we were outside for fresh air. I grew up in the area, we are used to staying outside when there is no light. 

My father went to do the bail preparations, I don't know how much he paid or how he did it so later on, I was released. Seems he said he paid N5, 000 for 'settlement' and N30, 000 for the major bail. 

That is what they do every night. They raid every night. One of the guys picked up with me simply went to buy drugs. When I saw what they wrote, for taking us to Ikeja 'dangerous hangout' I was surprised that my house has even become a dangerous hangout. I was in front of my house taking fresh air.

We were not doing anything wrong but I think it is a norm for them at Orile Iganmu police station to pick up people anyhow. Officers at that station cannot tell me they don't know the criminal hideouts in Orile, but they'd rather go after innocent people.

I got out of there on time because I have a voice, I met people that had been there for a longer time, for weeks and more.

Police officers were telling me, ‘you went online to talk, won't we eat? Those leaders embezzling money, why can't you speak against their corruption? You people burnt our stations, how do we rebuild?

Government should be deliberate about putting a stop to this. It's not enough to say they have given circular, notice and all those big words that illegal raiding should stop. If the police want to raid, there should be a reason for it, maybe if there was just a fight in the area, they can raid but for no reason, it is unwarranted.”