……Family, Community leaders call for independent Investigations by AI, IGP, CP, Ondo Attorney General.
By: Investigative Reporter
Grief and outrage filled the compound of Mr. Tubosun Bobade as family members, friends, and sympathizers gathered to mourn the tragic death of 17-year-old Tolu Bobade. The young boy was allegedly tortured to death by officers of the Ifon Police Division, sparking widespread condemnation and calls for justice.
Family members and Community leaders called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa through the Ondo State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Dr Kayode Ajulo; the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Olutokunbo Wilfred Afolabi, as well as Amnesty International to launch independent investigations and ensure justice is done on the brutal killing of the boy.
An investigative journalist who visited the Bobade residence observed a somber atmosphere, with tearful relatives demanding accountability for what they described as a brutal and unjust killing.
Family members remain dejected, lamenting the lack of justice following the tragic death in police custody. This loss has ignited widespread outrage among the youths of Ifon, the capital of Ose Local Government in Ondo State.
The Incident and Official Account
According to a press statement issued on 16 February 2025 by the Ondo State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, preliminary reports indicated that the incident began on 15 February 2024 when a dispute between two families on Ogbomo Street escalated into a public fight.
The statement explains that Officers from the Ifon Division, led by an Inspector, responded promptly, intervened in the altercation, and made several arrests while some suspects fled.
The statement noted that one “Tobi Bobade”—described as a young man involved in the fight—was brought to the station by Mr. Losilosi, appeared weak, and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.”
“His body was then deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, pending a postmortem examination.” the statement explained.
Odunlami in a Press Statement on 16th February, 2025, said, “the Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, visited Ifon for an on the spot assessment of areas affected in the attack by some members of the community.
“The CP strongly condemned the attack and arson on the Divisional Police Station and ordered a full-scale investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the incident and to bring those responsible to justice.
“Preliminary reports indicates that the incident began on 15th February 2025 when a dispute between two families on Ogbomo Street, Ifon, escalated into a public fight. Officers from Ifon Division, led by an Inspector, responded promptly, moved to the scene, intervened, and made arrests while some suspects fled.
“Fortunately, no lives were lost in the fire as security personnel acted swiftly and called for reinforcements to secure the premises.
“The Commissioner of Police in the course of his visit met with the Chairman of the Local government, Community leaders and other stakeholders in the community. In his address ,the Commissioner of Police on behalf of the Inspector General of Police commiserate with the family of the deceased and condemned the attack on the station as he vowed that such acts of lawlessness will not be tolerated. He assured that all those responsible for this criminal act will face the full weight of the law.
Challenging the Official Version
Community leaders and family members have vehemently challenged the police report, arguing that it fails to adequately explain the circumstances leading to the arrest and subsequent death of Tolu Bobade.
In an interview, Dupe Bobade, the uncle of the deceased, clarified that his nephew’s correct name is Tolu Bobade—not Tobi Bobade as stated by the police.
Tubosun Bobade, the grieving father, recounted that his son was in good health and full of life on the day of his arrest.
He said Tolu had been out for a stroll with his younger brother when he witnessed a friend collapse while being forcibly dragged by the police. In an effort to help, he approached the scene, only to be arrested himself.
The father maintained that his son had no involvement in any family dispute or fight; instead, he was simply trying to aid a distressed friend.
“He told me he was going out, and he was hale and hearty. Later, I heard there was a fight at the junction, and he saw a friend who needed help. That was where the police arrested him”
He said “His mother is late. I have been taking care of him since then. I know my son very well, and people in this town knows him, he never had a fight with anybody, he’s a easy going boy.”
“Please I need the help of Nigerians, we need justice of the death of my son, the government should come to my aid, Tubosun Bobade explained.”
Allegations of Police Brutality
Community leader Olaniyi Eni-Olootu alleged that police officers, while attempting to arrest local youths, resorted to severe beatings.
He said Tolu Bobade, who is now deceased, only went to greet his friends but was arrested and beaten to the point of unconsciousness.
Eni-Olootu explained that when the police took him to the station, he was not feeling well, they took him to Adelabu Hospital. The hospital later referred him to FMC Owo, but he was confirmed dead on arrival. The police then deposited his body in the morgue without informing his family.
“Tolu Bobade, who went out merely to greet his friends, was arrested and beaten into unconsciousness,” Eni-Olootu asserted.
“I think when the police took him to the station and he was feeling unwell, so they took him to Adelabu, the hospital referred them to FMC Owo where he was confirmed dead. They deposited his corpse in the morgue without informing his parents “
An elder in the community, Adesida Joshua, recounted that some of his workers witnessed a police officer mercilessly beating the young boy—an assault so brutal that the victim was forced to defecate on himself.
He condemned the actions of the police officers, saying that if the issue had been handled in a civil manner, the crisis could have been averted
The community leaders said evidence of similar torture on other arrested individuals further bolsters the community’s claims that Tolu was subjected to excessive and lethal force.
The Death of Another Promising Youth
In a related incident on 16 February 2025, a promising young man—a father of two, aged 6months and 7years—was allegedly shot by an officer attached to the same Ifon police division.
According to the step-mother, Mrs. Bunmi Orisamolade, a confrontation had erupted between her children and a community member, leading to a police raid at 4:00a.m. during which phones and other valuables were seized.
She added that the police intended to arrest one of her sons, who was unwell and not at home during the raid, they later located him and brutally beat him despite his illness. At the scene, Tolu Bobade had arrived to assist his friend but was also detained.
Mrs. Orisamolade explained that after one of her sons was arrested early in the morning, her other son was detained later in the day alongside Tolu, and both were allegedly subjected to severe beating.
She said as enraged local youths besieged and angrily attacked the police station in protest, her stepson—identified as Bamise Orisamolade—was shot while enroute to the hospital to check on his siblings.
Community leader Mr. Eni-Olootu confirmed that the young man, who had joined the protesting crowd, was fatally shot by police amidst the chaos.
In a heartfelt message from overseas, Mr. Ayodele Adigun—a member of the Ifon Descendants Association in the United Kingdom—extended his condolences to both bereaved families and Ifon community.
Adigun condemned the barbaric actions of the police officers responsible for the unwarranted deaths, insisting that those involved must be held accountable and brought to justice.
He further promised financial support to the affected families and urged the aggrieved youths to maintain the peace, allowing the law to take its course while a thorough investigation into the incidents should be conducted.
A resident of the town, speaking on condition of anonymity, condemned the arrest of five individuals, whom the police have kept in custody without charging them to court.
The resident said “as usual, the police entered the community and arrested five innocent citizens, detaining them at the Akure police headquarters without charging them to court. The Commissioner of Police stated that their release was conditional upon the community beginning the reconstruction of the burnt police station in Ifon.”
APPEAL FOR JUSTICE
In the wake of these events, community leaders and parents of the deceased are calling on the Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Olutokunbo Wilfred Afolabi, the Ondo State Attorney General, Dr Kayode Ajulo and other relevant agencies to launch an exhaustive investigation into the alleged police brutality, so that unfair and unjust treatment of the deceased would not go unpunished.
Odunlami said, “the Police Command urges members of the public to remain calm and refrain from taking the laws into their hands, Investigations are ongoing, and further updates will be provided as investigation progresses.”
While the police have pledged to probe the matter, residents of Ifon remain on edge, anxiously awaiting clarity and justice in what many are calling a dark chapter in their community’s history.
Fingers are crossed, and hopes are high that this investigation will soon yield the answers that the community so desperately seeks.
…..Report by an Undercover Investigative Journalist.
