The Oyo State Police Command has denied claims that Al-Amin Mohammed, a student who recently died by suicide, was arrested and prosecuted over an outstanding N8,000 debt owed to a Point-of-Sale operator.
The Command said Mohammed was instead charged with assault and malicious damage following an alleged attack on the female POS operator and damage to her Airtel SIM registration machine valued at N177,000.
The police made the clarification in a statement issued on Saturday, describing reports that the student was detained over the debt as “false, unfounded and misleading.”
According to the Command, Mohammed had approached the POS operator to collect N23,000 in cash, with an agreement that he would transfer the same amount to her through a POS transaction.
The police said the complainant gave him the money, but he allegedly left without making the transfer or returning the cash.
It said Mohammed later refunded N15,000, leaving an outstanding balance of N8,000, which he allegedly refused to pay.
The Command added that the complainant subsequently took possession of Mohammed’s mobile phone pending repayment of the outstanding amount.
According to the police, Mohammed later went to the complainant’s residence at about 10pm on September 8, 2026, where he allegedly assaulted her and damaged her Airtel SIM registration machine.
The police said efforts by members of the community to settle the dispute failed, after which Mohammed and the complainant were taken to a police station by vigilantes.
The Command said the police also attempted to resolve the matter amicably, but the complainant insisted on pursuing the case in court.
“Accordingly, having regard to the facts established during investigation and the evidence available, the suspect was charged to court for assault and malicious damage, and not for the outstanding N8,000,” the statement said.
The police further explained that although the court granted Mohammed bail after his arraignment, he remained at the Agodi Correctional Centre because he could not immediately meet the bail conditions.
The Command said he was subsequently released after fulfilling the conditions.
However, Mohammed’s family has given a different account of the incident, saying he was arrested and taken to court following the N8,000 dispute.
His mother reportedly said her son had gone to retrieve his mobile phone after it was seized by the POS operator and denied that he damaged her property.
Mohammed died on September 17, three days after his release from the Agodi Correctional Centre.
The police also cautioned against linking his death directly to the case without verified evidence, saying the circumstances surrounding his death should be established through appropriate investigation.
The Command maintained that while N8,000 remained outstanding from the initial financial transaction, the amount was not the basis of the criminal proceedings against Mohammed.
