A human rights group, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has exposed the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, CP Ayodele Sonubi, and his officers attached to the Monitoring Unit of the State Command.
The Officer-in-Charge, one Shola Aremu and Supol Folorunso of illegal re-arrest and unlawful detention of an innocent and law-abiding Northern Nigeria man, Abubakar Abdullahi, popularly known as “Bubah” for an offense the State High Court of Ibadan Judicial Division has discharged and acquitted him ( Alhaji Bubah) on 14 November 2024, for not having any case to answer on the allegations leveled against him by the Police.
However, CHRSJ has strongly condemned the action of the State Police boss for aiding and abetting his men to arrest Nigerian citizen arbitrarily with unlawful detention without trial for more than 3months to 36months over frivolous offenses with trump-up charges before the Magistrate Courts in the State, thereby congesting our correctional centers arbitrarily.
The Source from the State High Court reliably informed the CHRSJ’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman that Bubah had earlier illegally arrested and unlawfully detained between the years 2020 to 2024 before the State High Court presided over by Hon. Justice Adebukola Olatunde Lajide discharged and acquitted him (Bubah) and was subsequently released from Agodi Correctional Centre.
A statement signed by CHRSJ’s Assistant General Secretary (AGS), Pastor Micheal Agassi, and made available to newsmen on Sunday, described the action of CP Sonubi and his men as unprofessional, barbaric, unconstitutional, illegal, evil, anathema, anti-human, abomination, and a crime against God and humanity.
Commending the Deputy Controller in-charge of Agodi Correctional Centre, Ibadan, Dr. (Barrister) Abdulrahman Olayinka Olayiwola for handling the affairs of the Correctional Centre with due diligence and due process of law with a human face, saluting Barrister Oni who is the State Officer of the Correctional Centre for his professional conduct of handling the duties bestowed on him in line of official duty.
Pastor Agassi disclosed that CP Sonubi and his men, were acted contrary to Sections 34 and 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 (as amended), Sections 293 and 296 (1) Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, Section 2 of the Anti-Torture Act, 2017 and Order 2 rule (1,2,3&4) of the Fundamental Rights Rules 2009 and Section 4 of African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right (Ratification and Enforcement Act) Cap 10 Law of the Federation, Nigeria,1990-Articles 4,5,6,7,12,13,14,16 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right.
CHRSJ scribe reiterated the call for the immediate removal of CP Sonubi as Oyo State Commissioner of Police.
While giving the details of the earlier illegal arrest and unlawful detention of “Alhaji Bubah” after a few days of release and discharged and acquitted by the State High Court, Comrade Sulaiman explained that Buba did not commit any offense that warranted his earlier arrest and detention unjustly than challenge one Muhammed Musa, popularly known as “Hammah” who owing Bubah’s father figure, Babugah (+2348123553375) the sum of (N5.5million) and Hammah was not ready to pay back the money.
But “Hammah” was the informant of the Oyo State Police Command, Eleyele, Ibadan, in Akinyele Local Government Area of the State, and Bubah was arrested and detained illegally by the Police on the directive of “Hammah” and that was how “Bubah” predicament made by the Police in 2020.
Comrade Sulaiman further explained that Bubah was arrested on the 28th of June, 2020 by the Police Officers attached to the CP Monitoring Unit of the State Police Command, Eleyele, Ibadan over the frivolous offense of Armed Robbery and theft which they placed guns before Bubah and took his photographs with the sole aim of misinforming the public and Court to convict Bubah unjustly.
The source also informed the rights group that the Police later dragged Bubah before Magistrate Court 6 of Ibadan Magisterial Division after many months in Police custody at Eleyele, Ibadan over an Armed Robbery allegation where the Magistrate remanded him at Correctional Centre, Abologo-Oyo, thereby adjourned the case for mentioning then.
The source further revealed that when Bubah was brought before the Magistrate Court, he was speaking Hausa which was hardly comprehended by the presiding Magistrate who asked among those in the Court could interpret Hausa which only Barrister Akintayo M. Adeyemi could do so and this affords opportunity to explain to the Court to hear from Bubah that he did not commit any offense that warrant his illegal arrest and unlawful detention.
Upon hearing Bubah’s explanation, Barrister Akintayo shouldered it upon himself to be the Legal Counsel for Bubah where he appealed to the presiding Magistrate Court 6 to remand Bubah at Agodi Correctional Centre in order to give him the opportunity to have access to Bubah during the process of getting his freedom from Police trump-up charge.
Barrister Akintayo then approached the State High Court presiding over by Hon. Justice Adebukola Olatunde Lajide by filling an application to hear Buba’s matter because the Magistrate Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter, adding that the State High Court then discharged and acquitted Bubah by releasing him unconditionally from Agodi Correctional Centre on 14th day of November, 2024.
Unfortunately, a few days after State High discharged and acquitted Bubah, and returned home to Akinyele in the Akinyele Local Government area of Oyo State.
Upon seeing him back home, the Hammah, the debtor and informant, went back to inform the police and the same CP Sonubi’s Monitoring Unit of the State Command headed by CSP Shola Aremu with Supol Folorunsho that Bubah had been released from custody.
“Bubah” was then re-arrested for the same offense on the directive of “Hammah” because he was not ready to pay back the sum of (N5.5 million) owed Bubah’s father figure, Alhaji Babugah.
It was added that a sum of Two Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira (N220,000k) had earlier been collected from Alhaji Bubah by Hammah, claiming to use the money to appeal to the Police to release Bubah unconditionally but it was fake.
Meanwhile, after the recent press release by the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) on how ”Oyo CP, Sonubi turned State Command to Court of Law,” surprisingly, Police brought Bubah before Magistrate Court 5, 43 days after discharged and acquitted by the State High Court, Ibadan, for the same offenses, by the Police, precisely on Friday 27th of December,2024.
While appearing before the Magistrate Court, Bubah informed the Court that he had just been discharged and acquitted for the same offenses contained in the charge sheet but the Police Prosecutor and Investigative Police Officer (IPO) lied before the Court against Hon. Justice Adebukola Olatunde Lajide, the Offigeria Correctional Centre and Bubah’s Lawyer, Barrister Akintayo M. Adeyemi (+2348036443730/+2348023277824)
The Police alleged that the officials of the Agodi Correctional Centre and Buba’s lawyer forged the documents to discharge and acquit Bubah from the Agodi Correctional Centre on the said 14th November 2024 declaring that Justice Lajide did not make any pronouncement in respect of Bubah’s case.
The allegation raised by the Police came as a surprise to the presiding Magistrate, while the Magistrate ordered the appropriate and concerned authorities to avail the Court of all the necessary documents in respect of the Judgement of the Hon. Justice Adebukola Lajide discharging and acquitting Bubah.
The Magistrate Court therefore adjourned the case till 14 January 2025 for mentioning.
