By Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin
Four policemen serving with the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, unit of the Lagos State Police Command have been arrested over the death of a Benin-based car dealer, Benson Obode.
The four SARS operatives, Adeleke Adedeji, Oniyon Musa, Henry Sobowale, and Abena John, are being detained in Lagos and are expected to be transferred to Benin in connection with investigations into the death of the car dealer.
Obode, it was learnt, was arrested by the four policemen in Benin on 21 May, 2015, but died in their custody in yet to be ascertained circumstances.
The deceased is said to have been arrested for allegedly buying a Peugeot 306 car which was allegedly stolen in Lagos.
After he died in their custody, the policemen are alleged to have dumped his corpse at the mortuary of the Central Hospital in Benin even without informing the family.
The late car dealer’s family members are said to have gone looking for him in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Lagos and Kaduna police commands after he disappeared.
Eventually, after searching fruitlessly for over two months, Obode’s relatives learnt that the Lagos State Police Command had told reporters from a radio station in Benin that he died from “mob action.”
The deceased’s landlord, Monday Omosigho, who was also earlier arrested by the policemen, is said to have alleged that he saw Obode being tortured by the police at the Edo police command headquarters.
Obode’s elder brother simply named Solomon, who broke the news of the arrest of the four policemen also raised questions about the ATM cards and cash totalling N200,000 found on his brother at the time of his arrest which have not been accounted for.