NDLEA Says It Did Not Torture Baba Suwe While He Was in Custody

Baba Suwe

The National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said that its operatives did not subject popular actor, Babatunde Omidina (Baba Suwe), to physical torture during the period he was incarcerated by the agency for allegedly being in possession of hard drugs, PUNCH reports.

Mitchell Ofoyeju, the Head, Public Affairs of the NDLEA, said this in an interview with PUNCH on  Thursday.

Ofoyeju was reacting to an allegation by Nollywood actor, Yomi Fabiyi, that Baba Suwe’s health had deteriorated due to torture at the agency.

Fabiyi said on Instagram on Wednesday:

He (Baba Suwe) told me that he could no longer feel comfortable since that episode. Baba Suwe can hardly walk properly as I speak, let alone go to film. How will he feed and take care of the children that Aunty Moladun left behind?

He told me when I visited him that he was innocent and a long pipe was inserted in his anus. He was detained for too long, among other things, just because he was randomly suspected like every normal person.

Torture is criminal and sinful. If this accusation is found to be true by independent investigators, it shouldn’t go unpunished.

He also claimed that Baba Suwe told him that he could no longer walk properly because a pipe was inserted in his anus during the period that he was detained by the NDLEA.

Dismissing Fabiyi’s claims, Ofoyeju said:

The NDLEA did not torture Baba Suwe. If he was tortured, he would have said it himself.  This is just an unfounded rumour on the social media and it should be disregarded.

As a matter of fact, Baba Suwe was given the best treatment. We treated him with due regard to the requirement of fundamental human rights globally. He was talking to his relatives and lawyer. He was never kept in a prison for the period that he stayed here because he was virtually under our observation.

Ofoyeju also said that the NDLEA cannot pay Baba Suwe the N25m damages the court had ordered it to pay because the Appeal Court had directed it not to.

“If Baba Suwe had gone to the Supreme Court, perhaps his case would have been upheld. But he did not do so,” Ofoyeju said.

Baba Suwe told PUNCH that he cannot speak on the issue when contacted.