A Lagos barber, Babajide Adelowo, has died just one day after his release from police custody, where he allegedly spent 28 days following his arrest over suspected possession of firearms.
Adelowo’s family has accused operatives of the Lagos State Police Command’s X-Squad of torturing him during detention, alleging that the abuse left him severely weak and unable to care for himself.
The police reportedly arrested the barber at his shop in Iba Estate, Iyana-Iba, on October 6 and released him on November 3.
His relatives alleged that officers repeatedly suspended him from a weightlifting rod with his hands and legs tied. They claimed the treatment left him unable to walk or eat without assistance.
The family also accused the officers of arresting him without a warrant, removing belongings from his shop and restricting his access to relatives and lawyers.
Family Accuses Police of Torturing Barber in Custody
Speaking to PUNCH Metro on Saturday, the deceased’s uncle, Samson Adelowo, said officers claimed they arrested his nephew over alleged possession of firearms.
He explained that the operatives searched the barbing shop, broke its ceiling and opened a water tank but found no firearms.
Samson also questioned why the officers allegedly seized the shop’s generator, chairs and other materials.
He said the police confiscated Babajide’s phone and prevented him from contacting his family.
According to him, the family hired lawyers to secure his release, but officers allowed them to see him only two or three times during the 28-day detention.
The uncle further alleged that officers threatened to arrest Babajide’s wife when she attempted to visit him.
He also claimed that the chairman of their estate, who accompanied the lawyers to meet the police team, was detained and forced to pay N50,000 before officers released him.
Samson said the estate chairman had tried to explain that Babajide was peaceful and served as one of the community’s security officers.
Wife Recounts Barber’s Condition After Release
Babajide’s wife, Mariam, said her husband was extremely weak when the police handed him over to the family on November 3.
She explained that officers brought him to the PWD bus stop in a vehicle and helped him into the family’s car.
They also gave the family a referral note from the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, alongside a bag containing drips, plaster and other medical supplies.
Mariam said her husband could barely walk and looked pale and fragile.
She added that the officers advised the family to handle him carefully and take him directly to the hospital.
According to her, the police claimed he already had an illness. However, Babajide reportedly denied having experienced the symptoms before his detention.
During their journey to the hospital, he began explaining what he allegedly endured in custody.
Mariam said her husband told her officers tied his hands and legs to a weightlifting rod and suspended him for between 30 and 40 minutes on three occasions.
She also alleged that officers squeezed his hands with an instrument, affecting his muscles and veins.
The barber reportedly became so weak that other detainees had to help him eat and bathe.
His wife further claimed that he fainted four times while in detention.
Medical Report Details Barber’s Final Hours
Mariam said the final fainting incident happened after other detainees raised an alarm about his condition.
According to her, Babajide regained consciousness and discovered that his body and clothes were covered in blood and faeces.
She said the police eventually took him to hospital two days before his release.
The family later took him for further treatment, where he received a blood transfusion.
However, his condition reportedly deteriorated. He began vomiting blood and experienced difficulty breathing.
Samson said doctors informed the family that Babajide needed six pints of blood. The relatives managed to secure one pint before his condition worsened.
A medical report dated November 5, 2026, detailed the circumstances surrounding his final admission.
The report stated that the hospital received him on November 3 with complaints of bleeding, vomiting blood, abdominal pain, severe body weakness and anaemia.
It described him as acutely ill, lethargic, pale and dehydrated. Doctors also observed mild tenderness around his navel.
The medical team diagnosed symptomatic anaemia caused by upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding, complicated by haemorrhagic shock.
The report said doctors admitted him, collected blood samples and started treatment.
Although he received one pint of blood without complications, he began convulsing and vomiting while awaiting a second pint.
His symptoms initially stopped without intervention, but his oxygen level later dropped. Medical personnel placed him on supplemental oxygen and referred him to a tertiary health facility.
About an hour later, he began gasping for breath, prompting doctors to commence cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
However, their efforts failed, and medical personnel subsequently declared him dead.
Wife Demands Justice Over Barber’s Death
The widow described her husband as a responsible family man who provided for her and their child.
She said his 28-day detention forced her to take on responsibilities she had not previously handled.
Mariam also recalled how their son repeatedly asked when his father would return home.
She said the child eventually saw his father’s corpse the day after his death.
Demanding justice, she accused the police of failing to contact the family or their lawyer to check on his condition after his release.
She questioned why officers released him in such a weak state without following up on his medical condition.
Rights Group Calls for Independent Investigation
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.
The group wants authorities to investigate the arrest, detention, alleged torture and death of Adelowo.
It also demanded the identification and prosecution of any officers attached to the CP-X Squad found responsible for unlawful detention, extortion or denial of medical attention.
The movement called for an independent autopsy involving the family to establish the cause of death and determine whether alleged physical abuse or inadequate medical care contributed to it.
It further demanded an investigation into an alleged N10 million demand and the reported collection of N50,000 from the estate chairman.
The group also wants the authorities to recover the generator, chairs and other belongings allegedly taken from the deceased’s barbing shop.
It urged the police to protect the family and witnesses from intimidation while ensuring accountability and appropriate compensation if liability is established.
The movement maintained that criminal allegations do not justify torture, extortion or inhuman treatment.
It also stressed that police officers must remain accountable for their actions, regardless of their positions.
Lagos Police Respond to Torture Allegations
When contacted on Sunday, the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, denied that officers tortured the deceased.
She told the publication that an official statement would be released the following day.
The police response is expected to provide further details about the circumstances of Adelowo’s arrest, detention and release.