Police Tortured Me into Confessing- Herbalist Accused of Abducting and Selling Child Claims

Men of Nigerian police

In yet another spectacular allegation of police brutality, a 57-year-old herbalist, Tunde Ajibolorunsoro, also known as Professor, who is been held by the police for allegedly abducting a five-year-old girl in the Meiran area of Lagos State, had claimed that the police tortured him into confessing the crime.

According to the police, Professor sold the victim, Aishat Muyideen, to another herbalist and his neighbour, Tajudeen Makanjuola, for N60,000. But Professor is denying the claims to newsmen insisting that he was coerced into admitting it.

“I am a native doctor. On Wednesday, I was sitting outside my house in the evening when I saw some people, who said they were searching for a missing child. Around 11 pm when I retired to bed, some people shone torches on my house. I came out and asked them what happened. They said they were looking for a child.






“I advised them to report at the Meiran Police Station and they said they had done so. A few minutes after, I saw the torchlight again and came out.”

He said by the following morning, a large a crowd was at his house accusing him of abducting the child. He said his apartment and compound were ransacked but the girl was not found.

“The police later arrested me. They tortured me to the extent that I didn’t know when I confessed that I stole the child and sold her to Oluwo.”

Oluwo, 65, on his part, denied knowing anything about the disappearance of the girl and wondered how he got into the mess as his only dealings with Professor was as a neighbour.

According to him, “this man (professor) had said he was tortured to confess and that was why he mentioned me. If I know anything about this matter, I should die mysteriously. I am a herbalist in Meiran. I only know professor as a neighbour.”

Punch reports that the police command dismissed their claims, insisting that Professor led them himself to Oluwo. According to the Commissioner of Police, Edgar Imohimi:

“The suspects specialise in kidnapping and selling children. After the father of the girl reported the case, investigation commenced. Investigation revealed that Ajibolorunsoro, aka professor, sold Aishat to one Makanjuola, aka Oluwo.”

Given the police’s notorious history of human rights abuses, it won’t be difficult for members of the public to relate a lot with the torture and coercion story. But sometimes, we still have to give the police some benefit of doubt.

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