Olabode was arrested on Friday, July 4, and moved to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Akure, where he was held in solitary confinement. He is one of the administrators of a WhatsApp group for police personnel where the message was shared
By Titilope Adako
Inspector Emoruwa Olabode of the Idanre Police Station in Ondo State has been arrested and transferred to Abuja over a WhatsApp message linked to a planned nationwide protest scheduled for July 21, 2025.
According to SaharaReporters, the protest is being organised to demand better working conditions for serving and retired police officers.
Olabode was arrested on Friday, July 4, and moved to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Akure, where he was held in solitary confinement. He is one of the administrators of a WhatsApp group for police personnel where the message was shared.
On Monday morning, he was escorted from Akure to Abuja by officers from the Ondo State Police Command, in what appears to be a broader clampdown on those believed to be involved in the protest mobilisation.
Two other administrators of the WhatsApp group—identified as Otamere Ewamade, also known as “Hero,” and Fasoyin Ayodeji—were previously arrested in Lagos and taken to the Force Intelligence Department in Abuja, where they have been in custody for over two weeks.
A source told SaharaReporters, “Apart from Inspector Olabode, I was equally informed that one Otamere Ewamade, aka Hero, and one Fasoyin Ayodeji, whose ranks and formations are still unknown, were arrested in the Lagos State Police Command about two weeks ago and taken to Abuja for the same reason.”
The arrests have sparked concern among observers and within the police force, with many seeing them as an attempt to suppress internal dissent and silence advocacy for reforms.
Olabode’s wife confirmed his transfer to Abuja and raised concerns about the well-being of their children, particularly their second son, who she said is seriously ill.
“They left for Abuja this morning. I was informed early that they had left Akure,” she said.
“My children are not well. My second boy is seriously sick, and since Friday, the police have not allowed my husband to send money to us. They seized his phone on the day of his arrest, and even though I begged the IPO in charge to return it, he didn’t. This morning, those who took him to Abuja also collected the phone.”
The planned protest seeks to highlight the poor conditions under which police personnel work, especially in retirement.
A key demand is the removal of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), which retirees say has caused them prolonged financial distress, delayed benefits, and indignity after service.
Many retired officers have reported battling depression, financial struggles, and even untimely deaths due to the current pension arrangement.
They are calling for the establishment of an independent Police Pension Board to handle police pensions separately, arguing that the nature of police work deserves a more compassionate and specialised retirement scheme.
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