Lagos Barber Dies After 28 Days in Police Custody as Family Alleges Torture

A Lagos-based barber, Babajide Adelowo, has died shortly after his release from police custody, with his family accusing officers of subjecting him to severe torture during his 28-day detention.

Adelowo was reportedly arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command’s X-Squad at his barbing shop in Iba Estate, Iyana-Iba, on October 6, 2026, over suspected possession of firearms.

He was released on November 3, but his family alleged that he was in a severely weakened condition after spending nearly four weeks in detention.

According to his relatives, the police arrested him without a warrant, searched his shop and seized several belongings, including his generator, chairs and mobile phone. They also alleged that he was denied regular access to his family and lawyers.

Speaking about the arrest, his uncle, Samson Adelowo, said the police searched the shop, broke the ceiling and opened the water tank but did not recover any firearms.

He also questioned why items unrelated to the alleged firearms possession were removed from the shop.

Samson further alleged that the estate chairman, who accompanied the family’s lawyers to meet the police team, was detained and made to pay N50,000 before securing his release.

He said Adelowo’s condition deteriorated during detention and that the family became increasingly concerned about his health.

Adelowo’s wife, Mariam, said her husband could barely walk when the police handed him over to the family at PWD bus stop in Lagos.

She alleged that officers helped him into the family’s vehicle and provided a referral note from the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, alongside a bag containing medical supplies.

According to her, Adelowo began recounting his experiences in detention while they were taking him to the hospital.

She claimed he told her that officers repeatedly tied his hands and legs to a weightlifting rod and suspended him for between 30 and 40 minutes.

“He told me that they would tie his hands and legs to a weightlifting rod and hang him for about 30 or 40 minutes. He said they did that to him three times,” she said.

Mariam further alleged that her husband was squeezed with an instrument, leaving him too weak to feed himself or attend to his personal needs without assistance from other detainees.

She also claimed he fainted four times while in custody and regained consciousness during one incident to find himself covered in blood and faeces.

The widow said her husband was wearing different clothes when he was released because, according to him, his original clothing had been soaked in blood.

Following his release, the family reportedly took Adelowo to a hospital for treatment, where he received a blood transfusion.

However, his condition allegedly worsened, with symptoms including vomiting blood and difficulty breathing.

A medical report dated November 5, 2026, stated that Adelowo was brought to the hospital on November 3 with complaints of bleeding, vomiting blood, abdominal pain, general body weakness and anaemia.

The report, addressed to the Head of Pathology at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, described him as acutely ill, lethargic, pale and dehydrated.

Medical personnel assessed him as having symptomatic anaemia associated with upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding, complicated by haemorrhagic shock.

According to the report, he received one pint of blood and was awaiting another when he began convulsing and vomiting.

Although the symptoms initially stopped, his oxygen level subsequently dropped, prompting medical personnel to administer supplemental oxygen and refer him to a tertiary health facility.

The report stated that he began gasping approximately an hour later, prompting doctors to commence cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

However, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and he was clinically declared dead.

While the medical report documents the serious condition in which Adelowo was admitted and the treatment provided, it does not independently establish what caused the bleeding or whether alleged physical abuse contributed to his death.

The Lagos State Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Adekunle Taofeek, has called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to order an independent investigation into the arrest, detention, alleged torture and death of the barber.

The group demanded that officers attached to the CP-X Squad who may have been involved in the alleged abuses be identified and investigated, with prosecution where evidence establishes criminal responsibility.

It also called for an independent autopsy, with the family’s involvement, to determine the cause of death and establish whether alleged physical abuse or denial of medical attention contributed to the outcome.

The movement further demanded an investigation into allegations that officers sought N10 million and collected N50,000 from the estate chairman.

It also called for the recovery of the generator, chairs and other belongings allegedly seized from Adelowo’s barbing shop.

The group urged the authorities to protect the deceased’s family and witnesses from intimidation and ensure that the family receives justice and appropriate compensation if liability is established.

When contacted, the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, denied that Adelowo was tortured in custody.

She said an official statement would be issued the following day.

The police response is expected to provide further details about the circumstances of the arrest, detention, medical treatment and release.

The circumstances surrounding Adelowo’s death have raised serious questions about the treatment of suspects in police custody and the need for an independent investigation into the family’s allegations.