The Lagos State Police Command has summoned officers attached to Ebenezer Police Station, Alagbado/Ojokoro, following allegations of assault, unlawful detention and extortion levelled against them by a Lagos resident, Olugbenga Adeleke.
The development followed the circulation of a video in which Adeleke narrated his alleged ordeal, prompting the command to commence an investigation.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said the Divisional Police Officer of the station had been directed to produce the officers involved before the Commissioner of Police, while the complainant had also been invited to appear before the command.
Adeleke, a resident of Akera Tide community in the Alakuko/Alagbado area of Lagos, had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and human rights organisations over the alleged incident.
According to him, he was stopped by some men who were not wearing police uniforms while returning home on September 6, 2026.
He alleged that one of the men struck him in the face before he could ascertain why he was being stopped, after which he was allegedly forced into a bus and taken to Ebenezer Police Station.
Narrating his experience in a video that went viral on social media, Adeleke claimed he was assaulted again at the station and detained overnight without being told the reason for his arrest.
“When we got to the station, I repeatedly asked what I had done and why I was there. Instead of giving me a clear explanation, I was slapped and beaten again inside the station. Nothing was found on me apart from my phone,” he alleged.
He further claimed that he was told the following morning that someone had to bring money before he could be released.
“I was told that someone should come with money before I would be released. I kept asking what offence I had committed, but I was not given a satisfactory explanation,” Adeleke said.
He alleged that he sustained a serious injury to his eye during the incident and called for a full investigation into the conduct of the officers involved.
Adeleke also alleged that other persons were brought to the station while he was there and claimed they were similarly subjected to extortion.
However, the police said the matter was already under investigation.
Adebisi said, “The Command has seen the circulating video. The Complaint Response Unit has reached out to the complainant, who has been invited but is yet to respond.
“Meanwhile, the Command has commenced investigation, and the DPO has been directed to bring the officers involved before the CP. Both parties are expected at the Command on Monday, 14th September 2026, for further investigation.”
A human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, called for anyone found culpable to be arrested and prosecuted.
Ogun described the alleged assault as a violation of the victim’s fundamental rights, stressing that Section 34 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the right to the dignity of the human person.
“That is an egregious act which violates the provisions of the Constitution. Section 34 of the Constitution guarantees the right to the dignity of the human person, and that right ought not to be violated in such a reckless manner,” he said.
He added that alleged physical assault by law enforcement officers could not be justified in a democratic society and urged the authorities to take appropriate action if the allegations were established.
The latest incident has again raised concerns about police accountability, brutality and alleged abuse of office in Nigeria, with rights groups and civil society organisations continuing to demand stronger mechanisms for investigating and sanctioning misconduct by security personnel.
