Oyo Police Respond to Viral Video of Arrest

The Oyo State Police Command has said that a man seen in a viral video being arrested in Ibadan was suspected of being involved in cult activities.

The police also mentioned that anyone who sees an officer behaving wrongly can report it.

On Saturday, the command responded on X to a user, @de_shinor, who shared the video and raised concerns about the actions of an anti-cult unit in the Apete area of the city.

"The person shown being arrested was suspected of being involved in cult-related activities and was taken in by the Command’s Anti-Cultism Unit," the command stated.

They said the video seemed to have been recorded by someone passing by.

"This video appears to have been filmed by a passerby who might not know the details of the arrest," the command explained.

They also noted that the audio in the video showed confusion around the situation.

"The background audio reflects the uncertainty of the incident, as someone is heard asking what the person did," it added.

The user claimed the arrest happened at Danax, near Adamasingba, in Ibadan. He wrote, "This is Danax very close to Adamasingba, and this police squad is popularly known as Anti Squad Mangarawa."

He also shared that he had a previous experience with the squad. "I was once a victim in 2018, and I saw this same way of operating this week on Thursday," he said.

He went on to say that officers from this unit often visit Apete. "They come to Apete at least twice a week," he wrote.

In response to these claims, the police said their operations in the area are based on intelligence.

"With many students living in Apete and worries about cult activities, the Command believes proactive policing is needed to stop crime and protect people and property," they explained.

On the name the user used for the squad, the police clarified that it is not an official name.

"For clarity, there is no police squad officially called the Anti-Squad Mangarawa in the Oyo State Police Command. The unit in the Magara area is the Anti-Cultism Unit, which fights cultism and related issues," they said.

The police added that they take complaints about officers seriously and urged the public to report specific incidents.

"People are encouraged to contact the Command whenever they have specific information about an operation or feel that an officer's actions may have strayed from proper procedures and rules. We will pay attention to such concerns," they said.

They also affirmed their commitment to "protect law-abiding citizens, prevent crime, and ensure all police actions are done professionally and according to the law."

The command thanked the user for raising the issue. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention," they concluded.