The family of a disc jockey, Olashile Balogun, has accused men from the New Oko Oba police station, Lagos state, of arresting their son for the crime of their friend.

The police also allegedly tortured the victim during the three days he was detained.

PUNCH Subway It deduced that police officers from the station broke into Olashile’s house at Olisa Street, New Oko Oba, Lagos, on December 19 at around 10:52 p.m.

His pregnant wife was said to have called his brother, Francis, who went to the police station.

Francis said: “When I got there, they told me to come back the next morning. I got there that morning and met the IPO and she told me that my brother’s friend Sunday broke into the room of a lady, who is a tenant in the complex, and took valuables. They told me they saw him give my brother a bag. When the police couldn’t see on Sunday, they came to pick up my brother that night.

“I visited the scene of the incident to confirm that the room had been robbed and also went back to the police station to tell them that my brother could not be held responsible for a crime committed by his friend, an action that is against the police code. of conduct. They refused to listen to me, so I went to meet the lady at her house and told her that she should visit the station with me. She was not forthcoming but I held my ground and then she followed me to the station.

“The police told him to go home and leave me alone, but I told him I wasn’t going anywhere until we got to the bottom of it. I said that if they wanted to accuse my brother in court, they should do it and if they let her go to his house, I would still go to his house and bother him because my brother was innocent.

“So the DCO told the IPO to arrest me, saying that I was threatening the lady. They put me on the counter. I called my lawyer and he came and told them that they had no case against me and after a lot of persuasion, they released me.

“The lady said that my brother was not part of the crime and even wrote a statement that the police should release him. But after she left, the police did not release my brother and began to demand money for the release of him.

Francis said he begged them to release his brother, but the police refused.

He said that he returned to the station on the third day of his brother’s detention.

“I give them the money before they give it to me. I also bought drinks for them. Olashile was harassed. He has been traumatized since he left the station, refusing to eat, bathe or speak because of what he happened to her,” he added.

Olashile confirmed that Sunday was his friend.

However, the father-of-two denied collecting any bags from her on the day of the incident.

PUNCH Subway he was unable to speak further with Olashile as he was traumatized by the incident.

The lady, identified only as Ifeoluwa, confirmed the incident but directed our correspondent to the police for further investigation.

State police public relations officer Benjamin Hundeyin said Olashile was released after nothing incriminating was found at his home.

He said: “It is alleged that he received a black bag that was stolen from the room of an Ifeoluwa on a Sunday, now a fugitive. He was arrested and detained, but was later released on bail after a search warrant was executed at his home and premises and nothing incriminating was found.”

Article 36 of the Police Law prohibits the arrest of any person instead of a suspect.

Section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 also provides that a person shall not be arrested in lieu of a suspect.

A lawyer, Festus Ogun, said the policemen’s action was unconstitutional, adding that the victim should file a fundamental rights lawsuit against the police.