A 30-year-old polytechnic student, Al-Amin Mohammed, died after ingesting poison following his bail from the Agodi Custodial Centre. He was detained by the Sanyo Police Division over a debt of N8,000 and was subsequently taken to court. The police allegedly demanded N100,000 for his bail, which his family could not afford. Mohammed combined aluminium work with his studies at a polytechnic in Kwara State.
The police spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, initially stated that Mohammed was prosecuted for assault and malicious damage to an Airtel SIM registration machine valued at N177,000. However, a review of the charge sheet revealed that the police's statement was not entirely correct. The sheet showed that Mohammed was charged with conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace and damage to an Android Itel phone valued at N177,000, which included the N8,000 debt.
A retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, Isiaka Ayole, who bailed Mohammed from the Agodi Custodial Centre, discovered that Mohammed might have been tutored on his rights in prison, which the police allegedly violated. Ayole stated that the seizure of Mohammed's phone set off the chain of events leading to his death. Mohammed's family reported that Iya Ajike, a woman, took his phone while he was asleep, sparking the dispute.
According to Ayole, Mohammed told him that he suffered prison remand because he was poor and did not know anyone. Mohammed's family maintained that they were struggling financially, with his mother selling her phone to raise money for transport to visit him in prison. The family's financial circumstances were tough, and they had to seek financial assistance from relatives and well-wishers to meet the bail conditions.
A senior associate in the law firm of Yusuf Ali & Co, Taofiq Olateju, stated that seizure of another person's property without lawful authority was not permissible merely because the person owed money. Olateju emphasized that unlawful seizure of property is a criminal offence. A constitutional lawyer, Musbau Saheed, also noted that it is illegal for anyone to seize a person's property without first obtaining a court order.
Mohammed's father, Habeeb Mohammed, expressed grief over his son's death, stating that he was the family's shining light. The family is still struggling to understand how an N8,000 dispute led to Mohammed's death. The incident has raised concerns about police handling of debt disputes and the need for lawful means to recover debts.
Key points
- The Oyo State Police Command's handling of the N8,000 debt dispute led to the student's detention, bail issues, and eventual suicide.
- The police allegedly demanded N100,000 for the student's bail, which his family could not afford.
- The incident highlights the need for lawful means to recover debts and the consequences of unlawful seizure of property.
