Tunde Abass: Despite court order, DPO refuses to free activist who exposed police brutality
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Onipanu Police Station in Lagos, Francis Ani, has refused to release human rights activist Tunde Abass despite a court order granting him bail.
Abass was arrested and detained for filming police officers brutalising a citizen in Onipanu.
A source said the the activist was severely tortured and dehumanised by the police officers at Onipanu division where he had been detained since Saturday.
The police have also refused to release him from detention despite being granted bail by a Magistrate Court on Monday.
DPO Ani, who is allegedly reputed for brutalising citizens, has continued to disregard the order of the court to release Tunde.
“I heard the the DPO, Mr. Francis Ani, was saying the arrest of Tunde Abass has put him in the spotlight for police brutality and harassment of citizens, and he has been exposed to the world on social media over brutalising and illegally detaining a citizen,” a source said.
“He claimed his name is everywhere on social media for brutalising and detaining a citizen, the video he (Tunde Abass) also recorded is everywhere on social media.”
In October 2020, young persons across Nigeria trooped to the streets to demand good governance and an end to police brutality.
The protesters were dispersed by hoodlums suspected to be sponsored by the Nigerian government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) after two weeks.
