Police Deny Charging Oyo Student Over ₦8,000 Debt Before Suicide

The Oyo State Police Command has denied reports that it arrested and charged a 30-year-old student, Al-Amin Mohammed, to court over an outstanding ₦8,000 debt before his death by suicide.

The Command said Mohammed was charged with assault and malicious damage following an incident involving a female Point-of-Sale (POS) operator and the alleged destruction of her Airtel SIM registration machine valued at ₦177,000.

In a statement on Saturday, the police described reports that Mohammed was detained and prosecuted over the debt as false, unfounded and misleading.

According to the Command, investigation established that Mohammed collected ₦23,000 from the POS operator with the intention of transferring the same amount to her through a POS transaction but allegedly left without completing the transfer or returning the money.

Police said Mohammed later refunded ₦15,000, leaving an outstanding balance of ₦8,000. The operator subsequently took possession of his mobile phone pending repayment of the balance.

The Command alleged that Mohammed later went to the woman's residence on September 8, where he assaulted her and damaged her Airtel SIM registration machine.

Police said community members intervened and subsequently handed Mohammed and the complainant over to the police after efforts to settle the matter amicably failed.

The Command said the complainant insisted on pursuing the matter in court, leading to Mohammed being charged with assault and malicious damage rather than over the outstanding ₦8,000.

He was granted bail by the court but was unable to immediately meet the conditions and was consequently remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre. He was released on September 14 after fulfilling the bail requirements.

Mohammed died on September 17, three days after his release. His family had previously alleged that his detention and prosecution over the debt left him distressed and affected his wellbeing before his death.

The police said it would be inappropriate to establish a direct connection between the case and Mohammed's death without verified evidence, adding that the circumstances surrounding his death should be determined through appropriate investigation.