I was detained, tortured for rejecting policeman’s advances — Kwara minor

A 16-year-old girl has alleged that she was subjected to torture, unlawful detention, and harassment by operatives of the Kwara State Police Command after she was arrested during a search for her fugitive brother. Her account, which surfaced in a viral video, has sparked public concern and renewed attention to alleged abuses during police operations. The […]

A 16-year-old girl has alleged that she was subjected to torture, unlawful detention, and harassment by operatives of the Kwara State Police Command after she was arrested during a search for her fugitive brother.

Her account, which surfaced in a viral video, has sparked public concern and renewed attention to alleged abuses during police operations.

The teenager, Esther Aransiola, said officers stormed her family home in Kwara State in search of her brother, who is wanted in connection with an alleged theft.

She said they took her into custody when they failed to find him at home.

She claimed that her detention quickly turned abusive, with officers beating her and confining her in a cell.

“It was my brother who committed the offence. They had arrested my mother before and she was later bailed before they came to arrest me,” she said.

In her narration, she also alleged that one of the officers involved, identified as Jimoh, had previously made advances toward her and later used her arrest as an opportunity to threaten her.

“When I got there, they beat me and locked me in a cell. One of the officers, Jimoh, had made advances toward me before. When I got there, he said God had caught me and that since I had come to that place, he would punish me,” she said.

She further alleged that she was pressured to reveal her brother’s whereabouts under the threat of imprisonment. “He locked me inside the cell and did not allow me to come outside. He said if I didn’t tell them my brother’s whereabouts, I would go to jail,” she added.

The teenager alleged sustained beatings and isolation, insisting the treatment continued throughout her detention.

“He tortured me brutally,” she said, her voice breaking in the recording.

As of press time, the Kwara State Police Command had not issued a public response to the allegations.

A resident, Ojo Abayo, told Daily Trust on Tuesday: “She has been relocated from the community.

“And do you know she had an ulcer while she was in detention, and they refused to release her despite her plea? Is it even lawful to arrest her in place of her fugitive brother?” he queried.

Several calls to the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, were not answered.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, has dismissed allegations that a 16-year-old girl was tortured while in custody, insisting that due process was followed throughout her detention.

He explained that the teenager was arrested on Friday and released on Sunday, maintaining that her detention did not exceed the legally permissible timeframe.

According to him, the arrest was not carried out “by proxy,” stressing that there were grounds for taking her into custody. He added that there is no law prohibiting the arrest of a minor, noting that she was held behind the counter in the station.

The police chief further stated that the suspect was scheduled to be charged to court on Monday, arguing that officers did not detain her longer than necessary.

Responding directly to the torture allegation, Ojo challenged the claim, saying the girl should provide evidence. “If she says she was tortured, let her show where it happened or seek medical examination to substantiate it,” he said.

He also alleged that the teenager was aiding a suspected criminal, claiming she had been hiding him in the bush and providing him with food

On Monday, the command confirmed the arrest of the minor for allegedly aiding the escape of her brother.

It said the suspect is wanted in connection with a housebreaking and theft incident in Arandun community, Irepodun Local Government Area.

The prime suspect, identified as 19-year-old Timothy Aransiola, fled the community shortly after the report was made.