In response to a widely circulated video on social media, the Nigeria Police Force has addressed allegations of assault against a man for refusing to surrender his phone. The incident, which took place in the Ishashi area of Ojo, Lagos State, has sparked public outcry and raised concerns about police misconduct.
Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesman in Lagos State, provided clarification regarding the video, emphasizing that the narrative surrounding the incident is incorrect and misleading. Hundeyin refuted claims that the man was beaten solely because he refused to hand over his phone. Instead, he highlighted the broader context of the situation.
Police officer's assaults a young boy because he refused giving them his phone
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Hundeyin stated that Ishashi is known to be a hotbed of cultism in Lagos State, where heavy drug abuse is prevalent. Given this backdrop, when three young men were randomly searched by the police, and illicit drugs were discovered on one of them, it warranted further scrutiny. Hundeyin explained that the officers were preventing the individual from making a phone call, not attempting to seize his phone. This precautionary measure is applied to suspects involved in sensitive cases such as cultism to avoid them alerting their gang members and potentially destroying evidence.
of them would definitely call for a closer look.
Yes, he was being prevented from making a call. No one attempted to collect his phone. This is not the norm in all cases. This particular case borders on a felony, cultism. Freshly arrested suspects in cases as sensitive as 2/4
— SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) June 18, 2023
about phone.
Resorting to theatrics and false accusations along sensitive issues of phone searching will not deter @LagosPoliceNG from carrying out its mandate. Doing malicious video recordings will equally not cow the police into docility. 4/4
— SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) June 18, 2023
The police spokesperson emphasized that the case in question was related to cultism, a felony offense. In such cases, freshly arrested suspects are not immediately allowed to make calls to prevent the obstruction of justice. Once initial documentation is complete and the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) is present, calls can be made. Therefore, the incident was not about the phone but rather the individual’s resistance to arrest.
Hundeyin dismissed the use of theatrics and false accusations in attempts to deter the Lagos State Police Command from carrying out its mandate. He also stressed that malicious video recordings would not intimidate the police into complacency.
