N150,000 bail: Septuagenarian tortured to death in police custody

Why was a 70-year-old man tortured in a police station, an action which eventually led to his death?
Was it because members of his family could not raise the, according to his son, N150,000 demanded by some police officers for his bail?
What happened between last Friday when Gbenga Omolo, a septuagenarian, walked into the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) office, Oda Road, Akure, the Ondo State capital, for an alleged offence and Tuesday when his body was deposited in the mortuary of Ondo State Specialist Hospital, Akure?
These are some of the questions being asked by some residents of Akure on Wednesday.
Omolo was a member of the state National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
To his colleagues and family members, it was an extra-judicial killing. Because of that, they are demanding justice.
Freedom Online learned that some officers involved in the torture have been arrested.
Omolo’s son, Kola, confirmed the development.
He insisted that his father was tortured and killed by some SARS officers.
To show their anger, NURTW members protested in the state capital on Wednesday.
But what really led to his arrest and eventual death?
Freedom Online learned that last Thursday, there was a traffic snarl along the popular Arakale Road, Akure and it was discovered that the situation was caused by a man driving a private car.
Omolo was said to have told the driver to remove the car from the road, not knowing that he was a police officer.
A source said the police officer in mufti disembarked from his car and started beating Omolo, an action which attracted sympathisers and everybody blamed the officer.
The next day, the officer mobilised his men to the area and arrested some people.
Omolo was eventually arrested and N150,000 was demanded for his bail at the station, an amount family members could not raise immediately.
Said the source: “Because it was a Friday and no money was raised, Omolo was detained throughout the weekend. On Tuesday morning, the NURTW branch chairman at the motor park was able to raise N100,000 but when he got to the police station, it was discovered that Omolo had died. Of course, he raised an alarm”.
When the Police Commissioner, Isaac Eke, heard the incident, he ordered the arrest and detention of the officers involved at the police headquarters along Igbatoro Road, Akure.
As at the time of filing this report, the police boss was in a meeting with Omolo family members.