Residents of Arandun community in Kwara State have protested the alleged unlawful detention of a 16-year-old girl who has reportedly been held in police custody for three days.
The protest, which took place over the weekend, saw aggrieved community members storm a local police station, demanding her immediate release.
According to sources within the community, police operatives were reportedly searching for the girl’s brother in connection with a generator theft but arrested the teenager after failing to locate the suspect.
Protesters alleged that the minor has been denied access to food and visitation rights while in custody under the supervision of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO).
The mother of the girl also alleged that she was earlier arrested and detained during the initial search for her son.
She appealed for public intervention, stating that although her son was accused of committing an offence, she and her underage daughter were being made to bear the consequences.
The woman explained that she was detained for three days and made to pay bail before being released, adding that the police later returned and arrested her 16-year-old daughter.
She expressed concern that despite repeated pleas, the police insisted on prosecuting the teenager, who she maintained had no involvement in the alleged crime.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
