The Nigerian police headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos State, has been accused of unlawfully detaining a 19-year-old Point of Sale (POS) attendant, Gafar Oluwaseun Babalola, and allegedly threatening his family over their decision to report the matter to SaharaReporters.
Gafar, a recent secondary school graduate, was working for a POS business owner identified as Abimbola Aina in the Iyana School area of Iba, Lagos, when he was arrested in connection with a suspicious transaction.
The transaction, according to family members, was reportedly initiated by a third party and deposited into Aina’s account—yet police arrested and detained Gafar instead.
Despite the police releasing Abimbola without charge, Gafar has remained in custody for four days.
Reporters gathered that the police at a command are trying to exonerate Abimbola, the account owner.
Meanwhile, after releasing Abimbola, they told Gafar’s family to provide two sureties to stand for their son, even though the transaction was not made on his account. Gafar worked under Abimbola, the account owner, as a POS attendant.
Family members, who spoke to SaharaReporters on Monday, said officers at the Ikeja police headquarters expressed anger that the boy’s mother took the case to the media.”They told us to tell SaharaReporters to take down the report before they can release Gafar,” a family member explained. “They also demanded N800,000 or they would charge him to court, even though he neither owns the account nor made the transaction.
“Meanwhile, Gafar was allegedly brought out from his cell and returned moments later after police officers learnt Reporters had published the story.
“Let the world know Gafar is innocent. He only worked to support himself after losing his father. Now the police want to ruin his life over a case he knows nothing about,” a relative said.
The family is calling on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Owohunwa Idowu, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene and ensure justice is served.
“This boy lost his father and is struggling to survive. He’s innocent,” a relative said emotionally.“We are appealing to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Owohunwa Adegoke; and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene.
”When SaharaReporters contacted the IPO (Investigating Police Officer) in charge of the case, Ezra Nasiru, and asked— as a public officer— why he was allegedly threatening Gafar’s mother for sharing his contact with other family members, he responded aggressively:”Are you the one who recruited me into the police? Tell me my duty now if you think you can.
Report me, go away, my friend. You don’t know what you’re saying. What do you mean?”He continued: “What is threat? Put it on SaharaReporters, and so what?”Despite the controversy, Nasiru maintained that Gafar’s mother should provide a surety for her son’s bail — even though the transaction in question was not carried out by Gafar, nor was it his bank account that received the funds.Previously, SaharaReporters reported that the mum and distressed widow appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu over the continued detention of her 19-year-old son, Gafar Oluwaseun Babalola, by officers in Lagos State.
Gafar, who recently completed his secondary school education, was working as a Point of Sale (POS) attendant for a business identified as Digital Concept in the Iyana School area of Iba, Lagos, when he was arrested in connection with a suspicious transaction reportedly carried out by a customer already under police investigation.
Despite claims that the transaction in question was initiated by a third party and not by Gafar, the teenager remains in police custody.
His employer — a woman who owns the POS business — was reportedly released without charge, sparking outrage and questions over why Gafar remains behind bars.His mother, speaking to SaharaReporters on Sunday, said her son had only been trying to support himself and the family following the death of his father.
Amid sobs, she described the arrest as unjust and called on authorities to intervene.“My son is innocent. He was only working to make ends meet. I’m a widow with no means, and I helped him get that job.
Now they’ve taken him, and we have no money, no lawyer, and no help,” she cried.“When my son finished secondary school, I had no money to send him to a higher institution,” she said. “So I helped him get a place to manage before he could gain admission.
I took him to one of my friends who owns a POS business. She had said she needed an attendant, so I brought my son. He was combining it with schooling and usually worked on weekends.”She explained that after taking his West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), Gafar planned to work and save money for further education.“On Friday, his boss’ husband called to say they were in Ikeja and that my son wouldn’t be coming home.
He said the police had arrested both my son and his boss, the owner of the business centre. I couldn’t go immediately, but I went to Ikeja the next day,” she said.
The distraught mother is now pleading with authorities to investigate the case properly and release her son, who she insists is innocent and only doing an honest job to support his future.
When Reporters contacted the POS shop owner to ask why she had been released while her employee remained in custody, she declined to comment, stating only that she would send her lawyer’s contact.
As of the time of filing this report, she had not done so.Meanwhile, the husband of the POS shop owner — who is also Gafar’s employer —called Reporters, yelling angrily over the phone.He said, “My wife told me that you called her.
What do you want to know? Who told you about the case? Why are you calling?”.
