A 30-year-old student and aluminium worker, Al-Amin Mohammed, has died in Ibadan, Oyo State, days after he was released from police and custodial detention over a dispute involving an alleged ₦8,000 debt.
Al-Amin, who was studying at a polytechnic in Kwara State, had reportedly been detained following a disagreement with a Point-of-Sale operator identified as Kazeem.
His mother, Simiat Mohammed, said her son returned home on September 14 after spending time in police and prison custody but appeared deeply affected by the experience.
According to the family, Al-Amin became withdrawn and repeatedly complained that his reputation had been damaged after being detained over an allegation he denied.
Three days after his release, the family said he died after a personal crisis at his residence. They had earlier taken him to several hospitals seeking medical attention.
His father, Habeeb Mohammed, said three hospitals were unable to admit him before he was eventually taken to the University College Hospital, Ibadan, where the family was informed that he had died.
How the dispute started
According to Al-Amin’s mother, her son had borrowed ₦23,000 from Kazeem and had repaid ₦15,000, leaving an outstanding balance of ₦8,000.
She alleged that Kazeem’s associate subsequently withheld Al-Amin’s phone over the unpaid balance. When Al-Amin returned to retrieve it, a confrontation reportedly occurred.
The family said the matter later involved a vigilante group before Al-Amin was handed over to the police at the Sanyo Divisional Police Station.
Simiat alleged that attempts to resolve the dispute amicably failed and that the family was asked to provide money for bail and compensation over a damaged phone.
The family further alleged that Al-Amin was subjected to harsh treatment and pressured to accept responsibility for the damage. PUNCH said it could not independently verify the allegations.
From police custody to prison
Al-Amin was subsequently taken to court in Ibadan, where he was granted bail with conditions.
However, while the bail conditions were being perfected, he was remanded at the Agodi Custodial Centre.
His parents eventually stood as sureties, leading to his release on September 14.
The family said his behaviour changed significantly after returning home, with his mother reporting that he stopped eating, withdrew from people and remained preoccupied with his experience in detention.
His elder sister, Adenike, described him as a hardworking young man who combined his aluminium work with his education and contributed to the family’s upkeep.
A retired Deputy Superintendent of Police and family friend, Isiaka Ayole, called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Al-Amin’s arrest, detention and prosecution.
He also questioned the involvement of the vigilante group that allegedly detained Al-Amin before he was handed over to the police
Kazeem gives his account
Kazeem, the POS operator involved in the dispute, said he was shocked by Al-Amin’s death and denied intending to pursue the matter beyond recovering the money and addressing the alleged damage to a phone.
He gave a different account of the dispute, claiming that Al-Amin had carried out a transaction involving about ₦23,000 and later paid ₦15,000, leaving a balance.
Kazeem said an altercation subsequently occurred when Al-Amin returned to retrieve his phone, during which another phone used for business was allegedly damaged.
He said the matter was first taken to a local association and later referred to a vigilante group before the police became involved.
Kazeem maintained that he did not intend for the matter to escalate into a court case, saying the expenses incurred during the process eventually exceeded the amount allegedly owed.
The Mohammed family has appealed to the Federal Government, the Inspector-General of Police and the Oyo State Government to investigate the circumstances surrounding Al-Amin’s death and determine whether any official misconduct occurred.
The Oyo State Police Command said its spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, was not aware of the incident when contacted, while a subsequent message sent to him had not received a response as of the time of filing.
