A Lagos-based barber, Babajide Adelowo, has died barely 24 hours after his release from police detention, following allegations that he was subjected to severe torture during his 28-day stay in custody.
His widow, Mariam Adelowo, has recounted the horrifying account of her husband’s alleged ordeal, saying he was left critically weak and unable to walk properly when police officers eventually handed him over to the family.
According to a report by PUNCH Metro, operatives of the X-Squad of the Lagos State Police Command arrested Adelowo at his barbing shop in Iba Estate, Iyana-Iba, on October 6, 2026, over suspected possession of firearms.
His family, however, alleged that police officers searched the shop but failed to recover any firearms.
Narrating her husband’s experience, Mariam said he told her that officers repeatedly tied his hands and legs to a weightlifting rod and suspended him for about 30 to 40 minutes on three different occasions.
She further alleged that his hands were squeezed with an instrument, affecting his muscles and veins.
According to the widow, her husband became so weak during detention that he could no longer feed himself or attend to his personal needs. Other detainees reportedly helped him eat and bathe.
Mariam also disclosed that Adelowo told her he fainted four times while in custody.
She said that during one of the incidents, he regained consciousness to discover that he was covered in blood and faeces, while his clothes were soaked with blood.
The widow said her husband was eventually taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, before his release on November 3.
She added that police officers brought him to PWD bus stop and helped him into the family’s vehicle, warning them to handle him carefully and take him straight to the hospital.
The family subsequently took him for further medical attention, where he reportedly received a blood transfusion.
However, his condition continued to deteriorate as he began vomiting blood and experiencing difficulty breathing.
A medical report dated November 5 indicated that Adelowo had been admitted with bleeding, vomiting blood, abdominal pain, general body weakness and anaemia.
The hospital reportedly assessed his condition as symptomatic anaemia resulting from gastrointestinal bleeding, complicated by haemorrhagic shock.
Despite medical intervention, including a blood transfusion and attempts at resuscitation, he was pronounced dead on November 4, 2026.
The deceased’s family has demanded justice, accusing the police of subjecting him to inhuman treatment and releasing him when he was already critically ill.
His uncle, Samson Adelowo, also alleged that the police seized a generator, chairs and other belongings from the deceased’s shop during the arrest.
He further claimed that access to the detained barber was restricted, with his lawyers reportedly allowed to see him only two or three times throughout the 28 days.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Adekunle Taofeek, has called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest, detention, alleged torture and death.
The group also demanded an independent autopsy to establish the cause of death and determine whether alleged physical abuse or denial of adequate medical attention contributed to the tragedy.
However, the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, denied that Adelowo was tortured, adding that an official statement would be issued on the matter.
The family is now seeking answers over the death of the barber, who left behind a wife and a young child.
