The petitions, dated August 2 and August 5, 2024, respectively, allege that Mrs. Odegbami exploited her connections with high-ranking police officials to facilitate the unlawful arrest and detention of Mr. Suraju Asimiyu (aka Baba Ibeji).
The Centre for Human and Socio-economic Rights (CHSR) has submitted formal petitions to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Abuja, accusing prominent social media influencer Mrs. Tolulope Odegbami (also known as Olowosibi) of misconduct.
The petitions, dated August 2 and August 5, 2024, respectively, allege that Mrs. Odegbami exploited her connections with high-ranking police officials to facilitate the unlawful arrest and detention of Mr. Suraju Asimiyu (aka Baba Ibeji).
The CHSR alleges that Mr. Asimiyu, a widowed father of twins, was victimized by police brutality, harassment, and intimidation in an attempt to forcibly take his children from him.
According to a statement released by Comrade Alex Omotehinse on Tuesday, Mr. Asimiyu recently approached the CHSR to file a complaint against social media influencer Mrs. Tolulope Odegbami (Olowosibi), accusing her of exploiting her connections with senior police officials to orchestrate his unlawful arrest and detention.
The petition reads, "According to Mr. Asimiyu Suraju (Baba Ibeji), he got arrested on Saturday, April 20th, 2024 at his resident in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State by men of Nigeria Police Force from Ifo Police Division in Ogun State.
"That his arrest was in connection with the alleged murder of his late wife Mrs. Foluso Asimiyu (Iya Ibeji) who died on Friday, 19th April, 2024 after a brief illness at Ota General Hospital, Ogun State.
"That after spending thirteen (13) days at Ifo Police Division without investigation, instead of taking him to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Eleweiran, Abeokuta for a proper and due diligence investigation, he was transferred to Police Force Headquarters, Luis Edet House, Abuja where he was detained for over 65 days at Maitama Police Division, Abuja without access to his families nor trial."
He revealed that Mr. Asimiyu stated that he, his wife, and their twins became entangled with online influencers after a woman named Madam Jokotade assisted the family in raising funds to address their financial struggles. She successfully collected a total of five hundred thousand naira (#500,000:00), which was intended to help alleviate their difficulties.
"That to the family’s dismay, a few days later, Mrs. Tolulope Odegbami (Olowosibi) knocked on their door and told them that the earlier cyber influencer (Madam Jokotade) had short-changed and cheated them on funds raised on behalf of the family but she had brought smile and succor to the family’s financial status unknown to the family that she has come to inflict more hardship, pains and sufferings to their household,” the petition reads.
Mr. Asimiyu accused Mrs. Odegbami (Olowosibi) of causing his family significant distress since 2021. He alleged that she had him arrested and detained multiple times (over four occasions) in various police facilities on trumped-up charges, allowing her to gain custody of his wife and twins through her connections with high-ranking police officers.
Furthermore, the family claimed that Mrs. Odegbami consistently exploited their vulnerability, using her police connections to intimidate and harass them without any benefit or recourse.
It further reads, "That Mrs. Tolulope Odegbami has once taken the wife late Mrs. Folusho Ashimiyu (Iya Ibeji) to Military Hospital, Yaba for a family planning injection without the husband, Baba Ibeji’s consent because by then Mrs. Tolulope Odegbami (Olowosibi) had detained the husband at SCID Panti on a frivolous allegation of him (Baba Ibeji) sleeping and impregnating a 14-year-old minor, lya ibeji.
"That Mrs. Tolulope Odegbami (Olowosibi) took the late Folusho Asimiyu (lya ibeji and their twins to her personal residence in Ikorodu area of Lagos State where they lived for good three months without informing the family or husband while the family was searching for their whereabouts not until well-wishers who knew Iya Ibeji saw her, and she then narrated her ordeal at the hands of Olowosibi then collected her husband (Baba Ibeji) phone number from his colleague and called him to come and rescue them (i.e. the deceased and her twins) from her Mrs. Tolulope Odegbami (Olowosibi."
Mr. Asimiyu narrated that his late wife made a desperate 'SAVE MY SOUL' plea to him, prompting him to immediately intervene and rescue his family without waiting for backup. However, he alleged that Mrs. Odegbami (Olowosibi) mobilized members of the Oodua People's Congress (OPC) in the Ikorodu area, who physically assaulted and brutally beat him, leaving him stunned, when he attempted to rescue his twins from her residence.
The petition read, "That luck smiled on him when one of the OPC leaders later recognized him as Suraju Baba Ibeji after merciless beating, torture and molestation.
"That the victim, Mr. Suraju Asimiyu and his family are now passing through psychological trauma based on the torture inflicted on him by Mrs. Tolulope Odegbami.
"That another blogger intervened by getting the family a befitting mini-flat (apartment) fully furnished and equipped with a monthly allowance for feeding and that it became surprising to the family when they heard that the other blogger that assisted them whom they claimed the family have never met before was also alleged as the murderer of his late wife, Mrs. Foluso Asimiyu (lya Ibeji).
"That in seeking justice for the eleven (11) weeks of unlawful detention and incarceration of the victim, Mr. Suraju Asimiyu (Baba Ibeji), the elder brother one Mr. Taofeek Asimiyu approached an Abuja High Court through a human rights lawyer one Barr. Pelumi Olajengbesi to file a case of abuse of fundamental human rights on behalf of the victim Mr. Suraju Ashimiyu (Baba Ibeji) and was granted bail before the Nigerian police can release him from the unlawful detention.”
When SaharaReporters contacted Mrs. Tolulope Odegbami, she said, "I don't know who I'm speaking with. Please just send anything you want to ask me through my WhatsApp."
Attempts to reach out to her for a response to the allegations were unsuccessful, despite sending her messages on her phone as she had requested. She did not provide a reaction or comment on the matter.