Published 21st May, 2021

By Gabriel Ogunjobi

Ibrahim Taiwo, a painting apprentice and manual labourer who was arrested during the police anti-cultism raid, has been released from detention at the Lagos State Police headquarters, PWD, Ikeja, on Friday afternoon.

Taiwo was arrested on May 1 at Ologolo bus stop, Ajah area of Lagos, alongside four others suspected to be cultists who attacked the community a few days earlier. He spent a total of 20 days in the police cell — at Ajah police station where he was first arrested and at the Lagos police command headquarters.

FIJ confirmed that Jimoh Opeifa, the Investigating Police Office (IPO) of the case, later admitted that Taiwo was innocent. But he insisted on collecting a bribe of N150,000 to release him.

After FIJ’s report on Wednesday, the Complaint Response Unit of the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters in Abuja initiated an investigation into the case.

The attention of Adigun Abdulfatai, a top officer at the office of Hakeem Odumosu, the Lagos commissioner of police, was also drawn to the report, prompting him to invite Taiwo’s family for further inquiries.

Speaking with FIJ this afternoon, Michael Oyediran, Taiwo’s half-brother, confirmed the release at about 3 p.m.

He added that Taiwo was the only detainee who was released, because the police couldn’t find any substantial evidence linking him to cultism or the said attack.

“SP Adigun Abdulfatai said they were still investigating other suspects but no incriminating fact was established against my brother,” said Oyediran. “The police merely arrested him that day because he was coincidentally around the scene where some cultists were said to have killed someone.”

Adigun, on the other hand, said he ordered for the release of Taiwo based on his discretion, as he couldn’t see “any trait of cultism in him”.

He further said: “For the other four detainees, I can see traits of cultism already although I am yet to fully confirm that. This is a case involving cultism and murder and we have to get to the root of it.”

Taiwo will still be required to periodically report to the police headquarters until investigations are concluded.

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