Fresh controversy arose on Thursday following the death of a 20-year-old security guard, Jubrin Mohammed, in the custody of the Police Zonal Intervention Squad (ZIS) at Obada Police Station in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Mohammed’s family alleged the ZIS administered electric shock as part of its torture technique to obtain a confessional statement from their son.
They told our correspondent Jubrin collapsed afterwards and the police tried but failed to revive him with milk.
When he could not ingest it, they rushed him to an undisclosed clinic where he died.
They also claimed that the some of the suspects were hurriedly released following their son’s death.
Jubrin’s death on Monday followed his arrest by operatives of the Ibafo Police Station on December 14 and his transfer to the ZIS custody in Abeokuta.
He was one of eight persons suspected of involvement in the stealing of goods valued at N10million from an industrial equipment supplier, Barka Nigeria Ltd, at Km 12, Magboro, Ibafo Ogun State.
Jubrin started work at the company owned by a Lebanese, Jamal Mahmoud, in January on a monthly salary of N30, 000.
The victim’s cousin, Saheed Isa, told The Nation the family learnt that aside being beaten, Jubrin was also given an electric shock treatment.
Isa said: “We spoke to one of the suspects was arrested with Jubrin. His name is Mohammed and he told us what happened.
“He said all the suspects were tortured one after the other by the police and that they applied electric shock on Jubrin to make him confess.
“Each suspect was taken from the cell, tortured and returned. On Monday, when they brought Jubrin back, he was in pains and could not walk. He collapsed and the policemen brought milk.
“They gave Mohammed the milk and asked him to feed Jubrin with it. Mohammed put it in Jubrin’s mouth but Jubrin could not ingest it. When it failed to revive him, the police rushed him to a clinic.”
Jubrin’s father, Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, also told The Nation that the case was transferred from Ibafo to Obada Police Station following Mahmoud’s intervention.
He said Mahmoud told him following the suspects’ refusal to confess, he gave the police at Ibafo N40, 000 to transfer the case to the ZIS.
But Mahmoud described the allegations of torture as false.
Mahmoud, the Managing Director of Barka Nigeria Ltd, affirmed Wednesday’s Police response that Mohammed died of an undiagnosed kidney ailment.
Zone 2 Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs. Dolapo Badmus, a Chief Superintendent (CSP), said on Wednesday that Jubrin died of possible stomach or kidney ailment at an undisclosed hospital.
She explained that the body would be released after an autopsy.
Badmus said: “A case of stolen goods worth N10million was reported. It was later transferred to the Zonal Intervention Squad, which was able to unravel the case and the deceased was one of four or five suspects rounded up.
“He confessed to the crime. He was followed to where he sold his own portion. The goods were recovered from the receiver.”
Mahmoud said the police never tortured Jubrin or any of the suspects.
According to him, there were three suspects responsible for the theft of the stainless steel rings. They were Jubrin, one Mohammed and another man.
Mahmoud said: “Jubrin confessed on his own at Ibafo Police Station, even before the case was transferred. The other suspects did not, until the case was transferred. They were never tortured.
“We found out that the goods were stolen on a Sunday when other staff were not around. The ring leader was a former employee of the company.”
He said the goods had been traced to the receiver.
When The Nation enquired how he could be sure Jubrin was not tortured, Mahmoud said he was following the case.
He said the police also told him that Jubrin had been misdiagnosed with and had been treating ulcer rather than the kidney ailment he was actually suffering from.
Mahmoud also denied inducing the police with N40,000 to transfer the case.
He said: “The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) told the suspects that if they confessed, the case would be handled at Ibafo Police Station, but if they did not, it would be transferred to Obada Police Station for more investigation. I did not give them any money.”
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