Veteran comic actor, Babatunde Omidina popularly known as 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 in October 2011.
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.
Recently, producer and director, Yomi Fabiyi, has alleged that a ‘long pipe’ was inserted through the actor’s anus while in detention back in 2011 and the torture inflicted on him by NDLEA is damaging his health at an alarming rate.
Read what Fabiyi wrote below.
“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”
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