Controversy over illegal detention cells in Lagos markets

• .Suspects are detained, beaten and tortured by taskforce -Victim
• .Alaba union, Police deny knowledge

By HENRY OKONKWO

WEEKS ago, some aggrieved members of the Fancy and Furni­ture Dealers’ Association Section (FFDA) at Alaba Int’l market, La­gos, led by Abu Elvis Nwabugo, accused the market leaders of run­ning an illegal detention camp. They alleged they were tortured and illegally detained for belong­ing to the opposition camp.

Although the various market leaders denied that such a cell ex­ists, victims who recounted their experiences alleged it does and that the camp is being managed by an established taskforce.

Findings also show that some years back, market unions such as Alaba have detention rooms where they lock up thieves and hoodlums nabbed around the mar­ket before they are handed over to the police. Such a person could spend days in the market cell and later handed over to the police if they are not able to recover the stolen goods by themselves.

Saturday Sun investigations however, revealed that unions like the electrical and electronic sec­tions have since demolished their detention rooms and rented them out as shops. Anyone arrested is quickly handed over to the near­est police station which is situated within the market.

It was however, learnt from a victim that notwithstanding the claim by the Fancy and Furniture section of the market, an illegal detention cell still exist in the market.

According to the source who preferred to remain anonymous, the camps were created as a tem­porary place to keep miscreants before they are handed over to the police. “I was once a victim. My boss accused me of stealing his money and all efforts to convince him that I was innocent failed. Be­cause he knew that if I was taken to the police station, he would be asked to provide proof, he ordered the task force to detain me over­night as a way to teach me a bitter lesson. I spent the night there with no toilet or food to eat. It was the next day that they released me and asked me to go. I would have re­ported the matter to the police but of what use would that be since I had no money to follow up the case.

“It is true that the initial cell had been demolished, but there are still empty shops they use as cells when the need arises. They used to beat people up in an attempt to ex­tract information. Policemen also know about it because there was a time they were called to pick a man who stole money. They had tortured him and he confessed. It was when he told them that he had spent the money that they called the police. I am not saying that the taskforce should not exist, I’m only begging that they should be controlled to avoid dealing with nnocent person.

“In the market, anyone can write a petition against you and the taskforce will come and pick you up immediately.”

Another former apprentice in another market, simply identified as Emeka said that he was locked up at Balogun market, Lagos Is­land when he was serving his master. “Normally, when you are getting close to the end of your ap­prenticeship, if you have a wicked boss, he will find one crime and accuse you. I served my former boss for five years and when it was three months to my gradua­tion, he suddenly changed. “It was expected of him to help me estab­lish a small business after gradua­tion. I was not lucky because my former boss set me up. I spent two nights in that detention camp in Balogun market. He reported me to the task force and I was arrest­ed. I was kept in the same room with touts and thieves. It was hor­rible. It was after two days that I was transferred to Lions building police station where I had access to a lawyer.

“I was later released when my former boss could not produce any concrete evidence why I should be charged to court. This happened in 2013. After my release, I relo­cated to Alaba market and started all over again. They will deny it but it’s still there, the only differ­ence is that there is no particular room designated for such. They can push you into an empty store and lock you inside there and pre­tend that they could not reach the police to get you. I am not against that, all I am telling them is that they should not detain innocent persons.”

In ASPANDA market, Saturday Sun gathered that they do have a taskforce whose responsibility it is, to enforce the law. “We can­not rely completely on police to restore law and order in the mar­ket. In the past, we had a tempo­rary detention cell where suspects are kept before they are handed over to the police. To avoid any form of illegal action, the market union wrote and a police station was built in the market.

“It is strictly union matters that we manage over here. We are guided by the constitution and if it is a criminal case, such a per­son will be handed over to the police immediately. If anyone was ever tortured, then, such a person must have resisted arrest initially. I guess he was tortured while our taskforce men were trying to stop him from running away. All those people peddling such rumours might be crimi­nals,” a source at theASPANDA market said.

Also describing such claim as lies, the FFDA said that those behind the allegation are mis­chievous elements hell-bent on fomenting trouble in the market.

Reports had it that Fancy and Furniture section of Alaba market is recovering from a prolonged leadership tussle fol­lowing the impeachment of the former chairman, over allega­tions of embezzlement of union funds.

It would be recalled that a fortnight ago, the former chair­man allegedly led a team to Area E Police station, Festac to plead with the authorities fol­lowing claims that they were be­ing witch hunted by the current FFDA union leaders, and have been marked for torture and de­tention.

One of the protesters, Izuchuk­wu Ojukwu told newsmen that he was a victim of the illegal de­tention cell of the FFDA leaders. He admitted he had tasted the brutal force of the market leaders because he was supporting the factional leader-Abu Elvis dur­ing his father’s burial. Another victim, Silas Umeh, reportedly alleged that he suffered the same fate as he was also assaulted by thugs acting under the instruc­tion of the FFDA leaders. He al­leged that he was also detained in the illegal cell for hours before he was taken to the Ojo Police station.

Reacting to the allegations of torture and illegal cell, Emeka Mozoba, the Chairman of the FFDA described the accusations as blatant lies woven by shady and idle persons. He vehemently denied claims that the FFDA op­erates a detention camp.

According Mozoba, Abu El­vis was impeached as chairman in 2014, over alleged embezzle­ment of the union funds. “We don’t run detention camp here or anywhere. The question you journalists should ask him is whether he had a detention cell when he was in charge? He’s just spreading these spurious allega­tions after refusing to come for­ward to render account of how he spent the union’s money.

“He has reported us to Iyaloja, Area E Police Station, the SSS at Shangisha, the Force CID at Abuja, even the Commissioner of Police. Each time they call us to meet, Abu would not show up. He has been on the run from the market since.”

On how they manage to main­tain law and order in the market, Mozoba explained the market has a taskforce which is guided by a constitution. “We have our court and there are sanctions meant for anyone who breaks the law. For instance, your shop could be sealed if you fail to pay your electricity bill. As soon as it is confirmed that such person was involved in any form of theft or criminality, the person will be handed over to the police imme­diately. We do not torture or keep people overnight in the market,” he said.

The FFDA chairman further told Saturday Sun that those that accused the union of torture and detention are idle persons em­ployed by Abu Elvis. “Izuchuk­wu was my apprentice. I know him well. And I can tell you he doesn’t have anything doing. So Elvis gives him and his type, N2000 or N5000 to tell all sorts of lies against the union.”

When contacted, the state po­lice spokesperson, Badmus Dol­apo said that the command is not aware if such cells exist in any market in the state. “The com­mand is not aware but anyone with useful information should come forward and give us clue to help investigation as the com­mand will beam its searchlight towards such.”

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