How Police unlawfully detained father of twin toddlers for 80 days – Lawyer, Olajengbesi

Lawyer and human rights activist Pelumi Olajengbesi has shed light on the plight of Surajo Asimiyu, a father of twin toddlers who was detained unlawfully for 80 days by the Nigeria Police Force without any charges filed against him.

Olajengbesi, an Abuja-based lawyer, detailed the harrowing ordeal of Surajo, a modest man from Ogun State, who was arrested on April 20, 2024. “Surajo was initially held for ten agonizing days at Ifo Police Station in Ogun State before being transferred to Abuja. There, he remained confined in a police cell without any formal action taken against him, despite allegations of murdering his own wife,” Olajengbesi narrated.

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The tragic sequence of events began when Surajo’s wife, who had been suffering from tuberculosis and other health issues, was rushed to General Hospital, Ota, Ogun State, where she passed away.

The following day, on April 19, 2024, Surajo was arrested. “He was not allowed to see his wife’s remains, mourn her death, or care for his young children who have just lost their mother,” Olajengbesi explained.

Olajengbesi revealed that upon an independent review of the case, it was found that Surajo was a victim of an ego-driven power tussle between two charitable women’s groups. Initially, one group supported Surajo and his family, but when he aligned with another woman’s charity organization, the initial group turned against him. Following his wife’s death, this group accused him and the other woman of his wife’s murder.

“Despite the baseless nature of the allegations and the clear personal vendetta driving the accusations, the police continued to detain Surajo under the guise of investigation,” Olajengbesi stated. Pleas and efforts by the victim’s family to secure his release on bail were futile until the legal team approached the Federal High Court, which ordered his immediate release.

“Witnessing Surajo’s condition upon his release was heart-wrenching. He was malnourished, living in deplorable conditions, and so disoriented that he could barely speak. He could only cry,” Olajengbesi recounted. The lawyer criticized the individuals exploiting Surajo’s plight for personal gain and misleading the public for financial benefits.

Olajengbesi affirmed his commitment to seeking justice for Surajo, directing his office to provide adequate support and link him with international human rights organizations and donors for a possible rights campaign. He praised the Nigerian judiciary as the last hope for the common man and expressed gratitude to his colleagues at Law Corridor, including Henry Kelechukwu Oni Otu and Sunday Adebayo, for their relentless efforts in securing Surajo’s release.

“No Nigerian should endure such inhumane treatment. Nigeria, let’s do better,” Olajengbesi concluded.