Police clarify Oyo student not charged over ₦8,000 debt before his death

The Oyo State Police Command has denied claims about the arrest and prosecution of a student, Al-Amin Mohammed, who later died by suicide. They stated he was not arrested or charged in court over an ₦8,000 debt.

According to the Command, Mohammed faced charges of assault and malicious damage after he allegedly assaulted a female Point-of-Sale operator and damaged her Airtel SIM registration machine worth ₦177,000.

This statement differs from what Mohammed’s family reported. They claimed he was arrested and taken to court because of a dispute over an ₦8,000 debt owed to the POS operator.

Mohammed died on September 17, just three days after his release from the Agodi Correctional Centre.

In a statement on Saturday, the Police Command labeled a report saying that Mohammed was detained over the debt as “false, unfounded and misleading.”

“The Command wishes to categorically state that the narrative is false, unfounded and misleading, as it does not represent the circumstances of the case or the basis upon which the suspect was charged to court,” the statement said.

The police explained that the investigation showed Mohammed went to the POS operator to collect ₦23,000 in cash, intending to transfer the same amount to her through a POS transaction.

“The complainant obliged and handed the suspect the said sum in cash. However, immediately after collecting the money, the suspect left the scene without effecting the intended transfer or returning the money.

“Following persistent efforts, the suspect eventually refunded ₦15,000, leaving an outstanding balance of ₦8,000, which he subsequently refused to pay. Consequently, the complainant took possession of the suspect’s mobile phone pending the refund of the outstanding ₦8,000,” the Command stated.

The police reported that on September 8, 2026, at about 10pm, Mohammed went to the complainant’s house, where he allegedly assaulted her and damaged her SIM registration machine.

“Rather than settle the outstanding balance, the suspect subsequently stormed the residence of the complainant on 8 September 2026 at about 2200hrs, where he assaulted her and, in the course of the assault, damaged her Airtel SIM registration machine valued at ₦177,000,” the statement said.

Mohammed’s family told PUNCH that he went to get his phone back after it was seized over the ₦8,000 dispute and denied damaging any property belonging to the complainant.

The police noted that community members tried to resolve the issue before Mohammed was handed over to vigilantes. The vigilantes took both him and the complainant to the police station.

“Following the incident, members of the community intervened in an effort to resolve the matter between the parties. However, the intervention proved unsuccessful, and the suspect was thereafter handed over to vigilantes, who brought him to the Police Station alongside the complainant.

“Upon receiving the parties, the Police heard from both sides and made a further effort to resolve the matter amicably. However, that intervention also proved unsuccessful, as the complainant insisted on pursuing the case in court,” the Command said.

The main difference in the two accounts is about why Mohammed was prosecuted. His family said it was because of the ₦8,000 debt dispute, while the police said that debt was not the reason for the criminal charge.

“Accordingly, having regard to the facts established during investigation and the evidence available, the suspect was charged to court for assault and malicious damage, and not for the outstanding ₦8,000.

“The distinction is important, as the criminal proceedings arose from the assault and the damage to the SIM registration machine valued at ₦177,000,” the Command explained.

The police also denied any claim that Mohammed was held in custody because he could not pay the ₦8,000. They said the court granted him bail after arraignment, but he remained at the Agodi Correctional Centre because he could not meet the bail conditions right away.

“Upon arraignment, the court considered the facts and evidence presented and granted the suspect bail. His subsequent remand at the Agodi Correctional Centre resulted from his inability to immediately meet the bail conditions imposed by the court, and not from any Police decision to detain him over the ₦8,000.

“He was subsequently released upon meeting the conditions,” the statement said.

Earlier reports had quoted Mohammed’s family saying he felt distressed by his arrest and detention and complained about being taken to court over the dispute. They believed the issue should have been settled without going to court, while the police said the complainant insisted on pursuing the case after settlement attempts failed.

The Command also rejected any claim linking Mohammed’s death directly to the police case. They stated that the circumstances of his death should be determined through proper investigation.

“As regards the reported death of the suspect, the Command considers it inappropriate to draw a causal connection between the Police case and the reported death without verified facts establishing such a link.

“The circumstances surrounding the death should therefore be determined through appropriate investigation and established evidence, rather than through an inaccurate or incomplete narrative,” the Command stated.

In conclusion, the police said while ₦8,000 was still outstanding from the initial financial transaction, it was not the reason for the criminal charges.

“In view of these facts, the claim that the Police arrested and charged the suspect to court because of his inability to repay ₦8,000 is false, unfounded and misleading.

“While the ₦8,000 constituted the outstanding balance in the antecedent financial transaction, it was not the basis of the criminal charge before the court,” the statement concluded.