The police highest command has announced the arrest of 12 suspects, in connection with the recent torture and dehumanisation of three market women at the Oba Morufu International Market, Ejigbo, Lagos.
Police identified one of the suspects, Isiaka Waidi, the grand patron of the market’s traders (the Baba-Oja of the market), as the mastermind of the act.
Waidi, the police said, gave orders for the unlawful arrest, debasement, torture and extortion of N50, 000 from relations of the victims, as condition for their freedom.
Other suspects arrested by the police are – Saheed Adisa, Lateef Tijani, Ahmed Adisa, Oloruntoyin Dauda (a.k.a Iya-Oja) Adenkule Adenuga, Jimoh Busari and Azeez Akinosun.
Police also arrested Haruna Abdullahi and Buhari Yusuf who allegedly mixed the concoction of pepper and alcoholic spirit that were applied on the victims’ bodies, including the private parts.
“Two of the victims, who were young girls, were arrested along with their mother, tortured and dehumanised by persons who claimed to be members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) providing security at the market, and some market association officials who subsequently extorted the sum of N50, 000 from the father of the victims in return for their freedom.
“One of the victims, Juliana Agoma, a Republic of Benin national, was moved back to Cotonou by her father where she subsequently died, allegedly from injuries sustained in the torture.
“We have also declared wanted a man called Tiri, an alleged member of the OPC who was captured in the video footage and alleged to have stripped naked one of the victims, Ajoke Agoma; and mother of the two other female victims, in the presence of her husband, Otepa Oluronti,” the police further stated.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, added that two other suspects – Akeem and one Michael Abolore were also implicated in the attack. They are both on the run.
Mba said the suspects, who are still in custody, would soon be charged to court.