Ghanaian declared missing in Lagos was arrested by the Police

A 21-year-old Ghanaian, Etroo Mensah, who was declared missing after the police raided the Ikota, Ajah area of Lagos three months ago, has been found.Ereoo who cameback home at 2pm last Wednesday,had been arraigned in court by the police, and was remanded at the Ikoyi Prison a week after the raid.

PUNCH Metro had exclusively reported on June 10, that the family members of the Ghanaian were anxious about his whereabouts, after he was arrested during a police raid in the Ikota area on March 14.

It was reported that Etroo’s mother, Elizabeth, and elder brother, Napoleon, had gone round all police divisions in Ajah to look for him, but it was a fruitless search.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro on Saturday, the Ghanaian said he and 35 persons were arrested and taken to the Ajah Police Division after the raid.

He added that while others were bailed by their family members, he and three others were tried in a court the following Monday and remanded at the Ikoyi Prison.

He said,

 “On that morning, at about 6am, I was at a shop to buy a tube of toothpaste. I saw everyone running. I did not run because I had not committed any offence. Suddenly, a man grabbed me from behind, handcuffed me and threatened to shoot me if I ran.

“They arrested about 40 persons from the street. They had a big bus. They took all of us to the Ajah division and lined us at the station. Four women were among us. They took some of us to the Elemoro Police Station. We were in Elemoro for four days.

“That was where I called my brother. While we spoke, I told him we were arrested by policemen from the Ajah station, I was about telling him I had been taken to Elemoro when a police woman, Juliana Adeniyi, snatched the mobile phone from me.

“By the following Tuesday, family members had come to bail most of us. It remained about six of us inside the cell. I could not reach my family because the police woman did not return my mobile phone. I did not have their contacts off hand.

“On that day, we were arraigned at the Tinubu Magistrates’ Court and four of us were taken to Ikoyi Prison from there.

“That was where I had been for three months. The three others were Olaosebikan Temitope, Stephen Adjei, and one Rasak. I am the only Ghanaian. The three others also said they were innocent on the matter.”

Etroo added that the four of them kept appearing in court with no complainant and prosecutor till the magistrate struck out the case on Tuesday, June 16.

He said,

 “In my cell, there were many bedbugs. We were sleeping on a rug. The rug was the home of bugs and they sucked life out of me. I was in cell 06 with four other persons. I met one man inside the prison, named Awolowo, who was nice to me and gave me money sometimes to meet my needs.

“The meals were not regular, but they were not bad. The four of us kept appearing in the court until June 16, when the magistrate declared us acquitted and discharged. I begged for money to pay for my transport fares back to Ajah. I thank God that I am back home at last.”

Our correspondent gathered that Etroo was taken to a hospital for treatment from Wednesday till Friday after developing malaria.

The elder brother, Napoleon, told PUNCH Metro that the family was happy for the publication, adding that they were glad to have Etroo back home.