The Lagos State Police Command said it had begun investigation into allegations of illegal detention and corruption at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Sunday, said the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, would get to the root of the matter.

He said, “The CP, Abiodun Alabi, is already aware of these (allegations) and he has started to take action by looking into the matter to ensure justice.

“The CP abhors injustice and corruption and members of the public should rest assured that this matter would be investigated properly.”

A Lagos based Lawyer, O.O Nwani, had taken to Twitter to lament what he described as the inhuman treatment meted out to accused persons at the SCID.

The lawyer, who claimed to have visited the unit to secure the bail of a client, noted that the police were running a “capitalist venture of criminal profit maximisation.”

He stated, “Have you been to Panti Yaba, SCID, Lagos State? The Nigeria police are running a criminal enterprise there. Our office was there to apply for the administrative bail of a client who was detained for the past eight days on account of stealing pending investigation yesterday.

“What we saw was a total state of nature, where the obsessed policemen, laden with corrupt monies, claimed to have the power to detain any suspect ad infinitum without any recourse to the extant laws of the land.

“We call on Lagos State judiciary, the Nigeria police and all critical stakeholders to investigate all the extra-judicial dealings and detentions going on at Panti, Yaba.

“What happened to Section 36 (1)-4) of ACJA/ ACJL which stipulates that magistrates & High Court Judges should visit police detention facilities at least once a month?”

The lawyer also stated that some people were being detained for bailable offences, adding that when bail was available, it was for the highest bidder.

“Ayo, ASP (D 9 rogue cop) hid his identity, as he demanded N1m for the bail of our client. Inspector Segun, his attack dog, is the IPO of the case. When we challenged them on the humongous sums taken for bail, he boasted of N400,000 iPhone, boasted of being a car owner, a landlord in Lagos; of all the wealth he has amassed.

“While Ayo took his time to rain curses on himself and his family, questioning why lawyers will be collecting money without allowing police to do so for their job, Panti, Yaba, Lagos State SCID is due for cleansing,” he said.