Chief Elijah Olorunsuwa, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Ilorin, has shared a distressing account of his arrest by police officers, describing the incident as akin to a kidnapping. The arrest, which occurred early one morning, stemmed from a WhatsApp post he made regarding a local road project in Kogi State.

Olorunsuwa recounted that the ordeal began around 5 a.m. when police officers arrived at his home, initially indicating they were from the Kwara State Police Command. After a brief interaction with his wife, he emerged to find several officers waiting at his gate. He was informed that he was under arrest, but the officers did not disclose the reason for his detention at that moment.

As a law-abiding citizen, Olorunsuwa complied and followed the officers, who claimed they were taking him to the police command. However, when they arrived at a seemingly abandoned office in Eyenkorin, he began to feel uneasy. After waiting without any clear communication from the officers, he insisted on seeing a warrant for his arrest. He contacted his lawyer, who advised him to remain firm in his request.

Eventually, the officers assured him that the warrant would be presented at the state headquarters. Trusting their word, he accompanied them, only to realize they were diverting towards Kogi State instead. At that moment, he felt deceived and feared for his safety, likening the situation to being kidnapped.

Upon arrival in Lokoja, Olorunsuwa was presented with a petition against him, which alleged that he had committed cybercrime by sharing misleading information about the funding for the Kabba-Okehi-Oleluke road project. His post had claimed that the World Bank had approved funding for the project, a statement he believed was based on credible information from a federal agency.

The situation escalated when Jerry Omodara, the Special Adviser to the Kogi State Governor on Security, demanded that he retract his post, warning of potential legal consequences if he did not comply. Olorunsuwa maintained that he had merely relayed information he received and that it was also available on various blogs.

While in police custody, he was pressured to sign a retraction of his post as a condition for his release. Initially resistant, he ultimately signed the document out of fear for his life, especially after hearing about recent deaths of detainees in police custody. He expressed that the retraction was obtained under duress, emphasizing that he felt he had done nothing wrong.

The incident has left a profound impact on Olorunsuwa and his family, who were traumatized by the early morning raid. He highlighted the distressing experience of having multiple officers arrive at their home, causing significant anxiety for his wife and family. The entire episode has raised serious concerns about police conduct and the implications of freedom of expression in Nigeria.