In October 2011, veteran comic actor, Babatunde Omidina, aka Baba Suwe,
was arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Muritala
Mohammed International Airport on the suspicion of ingestion of illicit
drugs. The drugs were supposedly discovered in the actor‘s stomach as
he passed through the scanning machine at the airport.
After
detaining him for three weeks without finding any drugs, NDLEA released
the comic actor.
An Ikeja High Court ordered the agency to pay the sum
of N25 million as damages for unlawfully detaining him and also tender a
public apology to him. None of this ever happened and in 2013, a Court
of Appeal sitting in Igbosere, Lagos, quashed the judgement of the high
court, saying there was no evidence to attract such.
In a new
development, Producer and Director, Yomi Fabiyi, is alleging that a
‘long pipe’ was inserted through the actor’s anus while in detention
back in 2011 and the torture done on him by NDLEA is damaging his health
at an alarming rate.
Actor Fabiyi posted this message on his social media page hours ago:
“On BABA SUWE: I am calling on
all SENIOR COLLEAGUES in the entertainment world especially those close
to Baba Suwe cos I don’t have everyone’s contact to please reachout to
him asap. The torture done on him by NDLEA is vastly damaging his health
at an alarming rate. He told me he no longer feel comfortable since
that episode. Baba Suwe is a widower, he can hardly walk properly as I
speak, let alone go to film. How will he feed and take care of the
children aunty Moladun left behind?”
“This is an A-List
Entertainer and this conspiracy of silence gives me MENTAL AGONY on my
part, I don’t want to speak when it may be too late, I won’t forgive
myself. He told me when I visited him that he is innocent of the
accusations and yet a LONG PIPE was inserted through his anus, he was
detained for too long amongst other things just because he was randomly
suspected like every normal person. In my opinion, only lazy,
ill-trained, unfit and uncivilised officers torture in the name of
investigation. Torture is criminal and sinful. If this accusation is
found to be true by independent investigators, it shouldn’t go
unpunished.”
“The court asked NDLEA to pay him 25million for
damages which is yet to be obeyed but to me an OPEN APOLOGY will placate
him and illustrate some dignified and civil approach from a government
agency that made him go through all that without coming up with a single
proof after that prolonged detention and drama. He who assert MUST
prove! NDLEA needs to restore public confidence by doing the needful on
this matter. And until individuals and government agency begin to
respect fundamental HUMAN RIGHT and enhance duty of care, the essence of
Nigeria’s FREEDOM is far from been realistic. No malice is intended
against NDLEA with this outcry, I just hope the leadership see this as a
clarion call for getting it right and save the agency from sending an
innocent person to an early grave whereby leaving his children to suffer
unjustly. My humble take. Thank you. #JUSTICEFORBABASUWE #SAVEBABASUWE
#SAYNOTOTORTURE”