A Lagos-based barber, Babajide Adelowo, has died a day after his release from police custody, where he allegedly spent 28 days following his arrest over suspected possession of firearms.
Adelowo was reportedly arrested by operatives of the X-Squad of the Lagos State Police Command at his barbing shop in Iba Estate, Iyana-Iba, on October 6 and released on November 3.
However, his family has accused the police officers of subjecting him to severe torture during his detention, alleging that the treatment contributed to his deteriorating health and eventual death.
Narrating the incident, his uncle, Samson Adelowo, said the operatives searched the deceased’s shop but found no firearms or other weapons.
According to him, the officers allegedly broke the shop’s ceiling and opened its water tank during the search but left with the barber’s generator, chairs and other belongings.
He also alleged that the police seized Adelowo’s phone, prevented him from contacting his family and restricted access to him by his lawyers.
Samson further claimed that the deceased’s wife was threatened with arrest when she attempted to visit her husband, while an estate chairman who accompanied the lawyers to meet the police team was allegedly detained and forced to pay N50,000 before his release.
He said the barber’s health deteriorated significantly during his detention.
Adelowo’s wife, Mariam, said her husband was extremely weak and could barely walk when the police handed him over to the family at PWD bus stop on November 3.
She said the officers brought him in a vehicle, assisted him into the family’s car and handed over a referral note from the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, alongside a bag containing medical supplies.
According to her, the police advised the family to take him straight to the hospital and handle him carefully.
Mariam said her husband began recounting his experience in detention while they were taking him for medical attention.
She alleged that he told her police officers repeatedly tied his hands and legs to a weightlifting rod and suspended him for between 30 and 40 minutes on three occasions.
She also claimed that the officers squeezed his hands with an instrument, leaving his muscles and veins affected.
According to the widow, her husband became so weak that fellow detainees had to assist him with eating and bathing.
She added that he reportedly fainted four times while in custody, with the final incident occurring after other detainees raised the alarm over his condition.
Mariam said her husband told her that he regained consciousness to find himself covered in blood and faeces, with his clothes soaked in blood.
She further alleged that the police later bought him another set of clothes before releasing him to the family.
The family subsequently took Adelowo to the hospital, where he received a blood transfusion.
However, his condition reportedly worsened, with symptoms including vomiting blood and difficulty breathing.
His uncle said the family was informed that he needed six pints of blood but could only secure one before his condition deteriorated.
The widow also alleged that her husband told her a fellow detainee had identified him to the police as someone who possessed firearms but later apologised, claiming he had been instructed to identify him.
A medical report dated November 5, 2026, from the hospital where Adelowo was treated stated that he was brought in on November 3 with complaints of bleeding, vomiting blood, abdominal pain, general body weakness and anaemia.
The report, addressed to the Head of Pathology at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, described him as acutely ill, lethargic, pale and dehydrated, with mild abdominal tenderness.
The hospital said its assessment indicated symptomatic anaemia secondary to upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding, complicated by haemorrhagic shock.
According to the report, Adelowo was admitted, blood samples were collected and treatment commenced.
It stated that he received one pint of blood and was awaiting a second when he began convulsing and vomiting.
Although the symptoms initially subsided, his oxygen level subsequently dropped, prompting medical personnel to administer supplemental oxygen and refer him to a tertiary health facility.
The report added that he began gasping for breath about an hour later, prompting doctors to commence cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
However, efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was subsequently pronounced dead.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Adekunle Taofeek, has called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to order an independent investigation into the arrest, detention, alleged torture and death of the barber.
The group demanded the identification and prosecution of any officers attached to the CP-X Squad found culpable in the alleged abuses, including unlawful detention, extortion and denial of medical attention.
It also called for an independent autopsy, with the family’s involvement, to establish the cause of death and determine whether alleged physical abuse or denial of medical care contributed to the tragedy.
The movement further demanded an investigation into the alleged demand for N10m and collection of N50,000 from the estate chairman, as well as the recovery of the generator, chairs and other belongings allegedly taken from the deceased’s shop.
It urged the authorities to protect the family and witnesses from intimidation and ensure that the bereaved family receives justice and appropriate compensation if liability is established.
The group maintained that no criminal allegation justified torture or inhuman treatment, insisting that suspects must be investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
When contacted, the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, denied that Adelowo was tortured.
She, however, said an official statement would be issued on the matter the following day.
Adelowo is survived by his wife and their young child.