NDLEA deny torturing actor Baba Suwe

Mitchell Ofoyeju, the Head, Public Affairs of the NDLEA, has come out to refute all claims that the NDLEA tortured Baba Suwe in 2011 after his arrest.


Ofoyeju was reacting to an allegation by Nollywood actor, Yomi Fabiyi, that Baba Suwe’s health had deteriorated due to torture at the agency.

Torture is criminal and sinful. If this accusation is found to be true by independent investigators, it shouldn’t go unpunished.

He also claimed that Baba Suwe told him that he could no longer walk properly because a pipe was inserted in his anus during the period that he was detained by the NDLEA.

Dismissing Fabiyi’s claims, Ofoyeju said:

The NDLEA did not torture Baba Suwe. If he was tortured, he would have said it himself.  This is just an unfounded rumour on the social media and it should be disregarded.

As a matter of fact, Baba Suwe was given the best treatment. We treated him with due regard to the requirement of fundamental human rights globally. He was talking to his relatives and lawyer. He was never kept in a prison for the period that he stayed here because he was virtually under our observation.

Ofoyeju also said that the NDLEA cannot pay Baba Suwe the N25m damages the court had ordered it to pay because the Appeal Court had directed it not to.

“If Baba Suwe had gone to the Supreme Court, perhaps his case would have been upheld. But he did not do so,” Ofoyeju said.