Ede Youth President- Police authorities should apologise for arresting me

Abdulazeez Mufutaudeen Idowu, the President of the Federation of Ede Youths Association, has described his arrest by the Anti-Kidnaping Unit of the Nigeria Police, Osun State Command as criminal and unjust.

Idowu has called on the police authorities in Osun State to issue an unreserved apology to him, Ede youths and Ede town for the embarrassment his arrest caused.

Speaking with Newsmen Idowu stated that his ordeal began very early around 12:30am on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 when his residence was stormed by armed men.

According to his narration, “It was around 12:30 am on Tuesday morning that my wife woke me up that armed robbers have started attacking us”.

“They came in through the fence and knocked down the main door to my living quarters, ordered me to lie down and started beating me up with a machete.

“After much enquiry, they identified themselves as personnel of the Nigeria Police Anti-cultism squad”.

“The squad leader asked his men to stop the beating and my hands were handcuffed behind my back. They didn’t allow me to put on any footwear.”

He further said that on getting information that he was under attack by suspected gunmen, he got in touch with the two Divisional Police Officers in Ede and informed them that his abode had been attacked by armed robbers.

“Fortunately, when I was about to be whisked away by the group, both DPOs arrived with their fully armed teams.

“They too identified that truly the attackers were members of the Osun Police Command Anti-Kidnaping Squad.

“They nevertheless tried to explain to them I was a known person and leader of the youths of Ede and due to my personality, all they needed to do was to invite me over and I would have honoured the invitation.

“They warned them that arresting or abducting me may lead to unrest in Ede town”.

“They also told the Anti-Kidnaping team that it was due to my personality and the alarm I raised that made both of them to hurry over to my apartment.”

The youth President revealed that he was later told that the reason for his arbitrary arrest and forceful abduction was because he had the phone number of a known criminal mind in Ede town.

“That was when I had to remind them again that I was the youth president in Ede and by virtue of the position, I have the contact of every known Ede personality.

“I made them to understand that I have been involved in many dispute resolution in the town and also the facilitation of peace meetings.”

“After my explanation, they acknowledged their mistakes and told me it was their superior that ordered the raid on my apartment.”

“They took me to the A Division, Ede North and I was kept behind the counter and after a while, they bundled me and others they had previous attested and took us to the Anti-Kidnaping unit of the Osun State Police Command in Osogbo.”

“It was there that they realised that arresting me was an error on their part based on the strength of the revelation of one of the DPOs who had called them to their error.”

“Before we arrived Osogbo, several calls have been placed by prominent Ede personalities seeking the reason for my abduction by the police.”

“They started making entreaties but I refused such and asked them to forward an official letter of apology to the Ede people, Timi-In-Council, FEYDA, Ede youths for the embarrassment.”

“I was released later in the day on Tuesday.”

Ede is a town in Osun State, southwestern Nigeria. It lies along the Osun River at a point on the railroad from Lagos, 180 kilometres (110 mi) southwest, and at the intersection of roads from Oshogbo, Ogbomosho, and Ile-Ife.