A human rights organisation has called for an investigation into allegations of police misconduct involving a student of Osun State University, Salami Michael, who reportedly accused an officer of assaulting him, demanding money for his release and withholding his mobile phone.
The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Ikorodu North Unit II, Lagos State, raised the allegations in a petition dated September 26, 2026, submitted to the Area Commander of Area N Command, Ijede, Ikorodu.
According to the group, the incident began while Michael and his father were returning home through the Ewu-Agbo area of Gberigbe, Ikorodu, about two weeks before the petition was filed. The student was allegedly stopped by a police officer identified as Iku-Kenny.
CDHR claimed the officer accused Michael of being a thief and a “Yahoo boy” before handcuffing him and taking him to a police station. The organisation further alleged that the officer took possession of the student’s phone, demanded its password and went through private material stored on the device.
The petition also alleged that Michael was physically assaulted during the encounter and suffered injuries.
CDHR claimed the officer initially demanded N10 million before Michael could be released, but that the amount was eventually reduced to N600,000 after discussions with his family. The group said the family paid the amount in cash, after which the student was released.
However, according to the petition, Michael’s phone was not returned. CDHR alleged that the officer removed the SIM card and handed it back to the student while retaining the handset.
The rights group said the matter resurfaced when Michael was allegedly arrested again at Okuku Police Division in Osun State. It claimed the second arrest was connected to information allegedly obtained from the student’s phone concerning a female UNIOSUN student who was reportedly asked to pay money to retrieve documents.
CDHR maintained that the alleged treatment violated Michael’s fundamental rights, particularly his rights to dignity, privacy and freedom from unlawful treatment. It referenced the 1999 Constitution, the Nigeria Police Act 2020 and other applicable laws.
Among its demands, the organisation asked the police to conduct an impartial investigation, recover and return Michael’s phone and refund the alleged N600,000 paid by his family.
It also called for disciplinary measures if the allegations against the officer are established, while urging authorities to protect Michael and his relatives from further intimidation or harassment. The group further requested that any proceedings allegedly based on information unlawfully obtained from the student’s phone be discontinued.
The petition was signed by CDHR Ikorodu North Unit II Coordinator, Comrade Bamiro Adeboye, with copies sent to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the Public Complaint Response Unit and the command’s spokesperson.
CDHR said it had submitted supporting evidence and was willing to provide witnesses and additional information to assist investigators.
As of the time of the report, Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, had not responded to requests for comment on the allegations.
