Thread by @shola_olushola

#SARS ARE ARMED ROBBERS II

Afolabi, graduated from the University and after serving, he had no job. But every Tuesdays and Thursdays he took a walk to Ojoo junction in Ibadan to a newspaper vendor stand where he reads free newspaper and write out vacancies that suits his purpose

He has been doing this for some months, until one faithful morning that he was arrested by Police few meters away from his house and taken to #SARS Station in Dugbe. He was arrested with some other boys that Police picked at random at various location between Iwo-Road, Ojoo...

... Sango, Mokola, etc. He was still wondering what his offense was when they told him to remove his belt shoes and to empty his pocket. "Oga, you've gotten the wrong guy, I didn't do anything, I was going to Ojoo junction to read newspaper, etc".

He got slapped and was told he was speaking English and that he's a criminal. "Criminal bawo?" was his response. He was told to call his relatives that he's in trouble.

They supervised him on a phone call to his father. A 70+ retired widower.

The old man rushed to Dugbe from his house. My son is here, please what did he do? They told the old man, the son was arrested with some group of notorious armed robbers and that they found a pistol on him. "Pistol? My son?" They responded,"Baba, get out of here, father of thief"

The old man called my friend a lawyer to help. My friend left all he was doing and followed Baba to Dugbe to see the SARS DPO. This my lawyer friend is from Owo in Ondo State, & on getting to the DPO's office, he realized the DPO too is from Owo going by his last name and accents

So, he appealed to d DPO in Owo that they came for the Baba's son. DPO asked for the boy's statement (Baba would later say that wasn't his son's handwriting). In the statement, it was written that the boy belonged to a 15 man armed robbery gang and that the

Police truly found a gun on him. When they sent for the poor boy, he has been really tortured with bleeding mouth, swelling face and wounds all over him. Baba started crying when he saw his son. The DPO said there's nothing they can do to help.

My lawyer friend started appealing again in Owo dialect that the DPO should help them that even though the Baba is not from Owo, that the boy was his godson. After several appeal. The DPO asked for N200,000 and gave them one week because they are taking the boys to Eleyele...

... to showcase them on national TV. They left the station, and my friend told the Baba to go and raise N300,000 and that the Baba should package them separately in N200,000 and N100,000 respectively, and that they will give both to the DPO. The Baba had to sell his car...

... and a land to raise N300,000. About five days after they were at the DPO's office again.

My friend gave the DPO the N200,000 and said this is what you asked us to bring, but we also added this N100,000 for you specially for being a kind man to us...

The DPO told them that they should go and wait for the Baba's son at ANCE Building on Magazine Road in Ibadan at 7am the next day that the boys will be traveling and that if they see them at the ANCE Building, they will see the boy. Lo and behold at exactly 7am...

a Police van appeared and pushed Afolabi out of the van while the other boys were in chains, and were taking away to be shot dead.

So, if you see me putting on the cap of #EndSARS #EndPoliceBrutalityinNigeria you should understand where I am coming from.

Remembering this all over again makes me so mad and hates it when some ignorant says people are being paid to protest. You have no idea.