Two So-Safe officers arrested over man's death in Ogun

The Ogun State Police have arrested two officers from the Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps, known as So-Safe Corps. This follows the death of a man named Success, who reportedly died from injuries after the officers allegedly tortured him.

Babaseyi Oluseyi, the police spokesperson, confirmed the arrests in a brief response to our inquiry on Tuesday. He stated that the officers are now in custody.

"I can confirm that we have the officers involved in custody," he said.

Reports from PUNCH Metro say the incident happened after a disagreement between Success and his mother on Saturday in the Oju-Ore area of Ogun State. Success's mother called some So-Safe officers to intervene, and they took him into custody.

Instead of bringing him to the police, the officers allegedly took him to an uncompleted building where he was badly beaten. It is said that he later died from the injuries he received during the alleged torture.

A source close to the situation claimed that the officers beat Success for a long time after taking him away from his mother's home.

The leadership of the So-Safe Corps has stated they are working with the police to ensure justice is served. Moruf Adekunle, the spokesperson for the corps, condemned the actions of the officers. He called it a violation of the organization’s rules.

According to him, the officers acted outside their duty and standard procedures. "The mother called us to intervene, and some of our ad hoc personnel responded. They were supposed to report the matter to the right authorities, but sadly, they took the law into their own hands."

"As soon as we learned about the incident, we handed over the first suspect to the Nigerian Police Force and later handed over the second officer for investigation and prosecution. The commandant does not tolerate any form of human rights abuse. We are working with the police to ensure justice is done," Adekunle said.

He added that Soji Ganzallo, the state commander of the corps, has often warned personnel against human rights violations and unlawful detentions.

This incident has brought back worries about alleged torture and unlawful actions by some security agents in Nigeria. In recent years, rights groups and civil society organizations have called for more accountability and strict punishment for security personnel guilty of torture and other human rights abuses.

The police have stated that they are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding Success’s death.