By DAYO ADESULU
Activist’s Presence Forces Police to Release Seized Phones, End Detention Delays
A National Youth Service Corps member, Miss Ibrahim Mariam Titilayo, has regained her freedom after days of what her lawyers described as unlawful detention, intimidation, and prolonged police harassment — an ordeal that only ended when activist and presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, arrived at the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja to demand accountability.
Miss Titilayo, currently serving in Akure, Ondo State, was arrested on 16 October 2025 by officers who reportedly provided no warrant, no explanation, and no legal basis for her apprehension. According to her legal team, led by human rights lawyer Tope Temokun, the police seized her devices — including an iPhone 12 Pro Max, a small Itel phone and her WiFi device — and detained her overnight at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID).
Her arrest was linked to a January 2024 kidnapping and murder investigation, with police alleging that a phone number associated with her National Identification Number (NIN) was tied to the crime. But official Airtel records later confirmed what she had maintained from the start: she only purchased the SIM card on April 15, 2025, more than a year after the alleged incident.
‘Oppressive, unlawful, and baseless’ — Lawyer petitions IGP
Temokun said the police team, led by Inspector Dauda Adamu of FID Abuja, ignored undeniable evidence, threatened to fly her to Abuja, and subjected her to psychological trauma. Despite Airtel’s confirmation of her innocence, she was taken to the Police Clinic in Akure, where medical tests were allegedly performed on her without consent.
She was later granted bail in Akure but was still ordered to report to the Force Intelligence Department in Abuja — a move her lawyers described as “deliberately oppressive and unnecessary,” given the evidence clearing her of any wrongdoing.
Upon receiving her complaint, Temokun petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, calling out what he termed the “abusive, unprofessional and arbitrary conduct” of officers involved.
Endless delays in Abuja — until Sowore arrived
Miss Titilayo travelled from Akure to Abuja on 20 November 2025, yet was reportedly left in limbo for days.
Despite being cleared, she faced:
Long, unexplained delays
Refusal to release her seized phones
An IPO who “vanished” from duty to avoid accountability
A slow, bureaucratic process designed to frustrate her, according to her lawyer
Everything changed when Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and long-time human rights defender, arrived at the FID headquarters.
His intervention, according to Temokun, was “immediate and decisive.”
Within minutes of his arrival:
The IPO surfaced.
Both seized phones were returned.
The police told her she was “free to go.”
What weeks of legal petitions and repeated visits could not achieve happened in one afternoon.
‘Your presence made all the difference’ — Lawyer praises Sowore
Temokun offered special appreciation to Sowore for standing by an ordinary citizen facing institutional intimidation.
He wrote:
“We express our profound gratitude to Mr. Omoyele Sowore, whose timely presence at FID Headquarters, Abuja, brought long-awaited relief. His solidarity, courage, and unwavering commitment to defending ordinary citizens made all the difference.”
But the lawyer added that the battle is far from over.
“The search for total remedial justice for Miss Ibrahim Mariam Titilayo still continues.”
A wider issue of police harassment
The case highlights growing public concerns about police profiling, unlawful arrests, NIN-linked surveillance errors, and the misuse of investigative authority. Human rights groups warn that ordinary citizens continue to face arbitrary detention despite repeated reform promises from successive governments.
For many Nigerians, Miss Titilayo’s ordeal reflects a familiar pattern:
Unexplained arrests
Coerced statements
Seizure of property without warrant
Delays engineered to frustrate victims
Lack of internal disciplinary action
Her case amplifies ongoing calls for:
Stronger oversight of special police units
Transparent investigative procedures
A modernised digital database to prevent wrongful arrests
Institutional accountability
NYSC corps member police harassment: a systemic problem
Miss Titilayo’s experience mirrors past cases where innocent young Nigerians — especially corps members — were swept into police investigations based on poorly managed digital records or vague intelligence.
Her release, lawyers say, should not overshadow the trauma she endured.
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