The Nigerian Police have arraigned several youths in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, for participating in the #JusticeForMohBad rally. They were dehumanized in prison and charged outrageous amounts ranging from N500,000 to N1,000,000 for bail.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Ogun State Command, have wrongfully arrested youths in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, including upcoming Nigerian actress Obikoya Funke, during the #JusticeForMohbad rally in September. Subsequently, they charged them with a felony.
Recall that following the death of the singer Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as MohBad, there have been controversies and protests in demand of justice for him, as his death was believed to have been orchestrated.
The young individuals explained that they were involved in a rally and not a protest. They claimed that the rally was peaceful, and they were perplexed by the police’s aggressive behavior and subsequent legal action. As she recounted her experience, aspiring actress Funke shared that she came across her friend’s “Justice for Mohbad” post and decided to join her friend at the Ijabu Ode location near Ibadan Garage.
“I was sitting by the roadside with my friends. Some people were walking, but we decided to sit by the roadside, and around 3:30 p.m., the police came and started dragging all of us.
“Two police officers dragged me inside their car. Some ran away, but I did not run because I did not do anything. They took us to the station and put us in a cell. I slept on bare tiles.
“My friend reached out to my family, and the next day, the police took me to court. They charged me for a lot of things that I didn’t know about. They said I joined the Eiye Confraternity.
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“I’m just an upcoming actress and a model trying to pave the way for myself. They have spoiled my career. They arrested me wrongly and accused me wrongly. They took me to prison and said that my bail was N500,000.”
She said she was bailed on Monday and that her case had been adjourned till November.
“But I saw hell inside the cell and prison. I didn’t commit any crimes. They accused me wrongly. I had to eat the prison beans, sweep the yard, wash the toilet, and kneel and greet about 25 people in a day.
“I slept on the mat and washed seniors’ clothes. They turned me into a prisoner in my 20s.”
One of the counts preferred against Funke and other youths arrested alongside her read, “That you, Wasiu Tunji ‘M’, Akinyemi Boluwatife ‘M’, Ogunkoya Abiodun ‘M’, Adebanjo Okiki ‘M’, Eriogun Rasheed ‘M’, Obikoya Funke ‘F’, Olabanji Tosin ‘F’, Hamzat Sulamon ‘M’ on the 21/9/2023 at about 3:30 pm at Ibadan Garage roundabout Ijebu Ode in the Ijebu Ode magisterial district did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit conduct likely to cause a breach of peace and unlawful assembly and thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the criminal code, laws of Ogun State of Nigeria 2006.
“Count 2 read, “That you, Wasiu Tunji ‘M’, Akinyemi Boluwatife ‘M’, Ogunkoya Abiodun ‘M’, Adebanjo Okiki ‘M’, Eriogun Rasheed ‘M’, Obikoya Funke ‘F’, Olabanji Tosin ‘F’, Hamzat Sulamon ‘M’, on the same date, time, and place in the aforementioned magisterial district, assembled yourselves at Ibadan Garage roundabout Ijebu Ode and thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 70 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria 2006.”
Report written from some of the arraigned youths and reports from Sahara Reporters.
