Police in Ibadan brutalize, threaten me with frame up – Oduwole

A police officer in Ibadan on Tuesday acted outside the law to physically manhandle a resident whom the officer threatened to “frame up” with lies to make sure he rots in jail.

The victim, Habbeb Oduwole, said he was a passenger on a motorcycle whose rider broke the law by conveying two passengers simultaneously early Tuesday morning.

“At about 8:50 am on Tuesday, I was on a bike and a traffic warden named David Olugbon with ID number: 7885 of Orita Division asked the motorcyclist to stop and park for carrying two passengers which he did, and when I tried to plead on behalf of the motorcyclist, David a.k.a Pastor started beating and kicking me with his leg,” Mr Oduwole said.

“I was shocked at the turn of the whole event as a lot of passers-by gathered at the scene but the police officer continued the beating and threatened that he will frame me up for an offence I did not commit and make sure I rot in jail,” he added.

He said respite came his way when a friend met the scene and advised that he called his lawyer.

“My lawyer advised that I leave the scene and go for a medical treatment as well as get the details of the officer.”

It is a commonplace for police officers in Nigeria to physically assault residents they presume to have breached law or even engage them in arguments.

“My plea is that this officer should be disciplined for his misconduct and also that the force should be sanitized to weed out bad officers who drag the force name in mud,” Mr Oduwole said

CR Habbeb Oduwole

Ibadan