Oyo Police Deny Detaining Student Over ₦8,000 Debt

The Oyo State Police Command has dismissed reports that a student who later died by suicide was arrested and charged to court over an outstanding ₦8,000 debt.

The claim, contained in a newspaper publication, alleged that the student was detained by the Police over the debt before being remanded in custody.

According to the Command in a statement shared on X, the report titled “They Ruined My Reputation; Student Commits Suicide After Oyo Police Detention Over ₦8,000 Debt” was false and did not reflect the circumstances surrounding the case.

The Police said investigation showed that the deceased approached a female Point-of-Sale operator to collect ₦23,000 in cash, with the intention of transferring the same amount to her through the POS transaction.

According to the Command, the complainant handed over the money, but the suspect left without completing the transfer or returning the cash.

The Police said the suspect later refunded ₦15,000, leaving an outstanding ₦8,000, which he allegedly refused to pay.

Read Also: Police Arrest Six Suspected Cultists, Recover Four Firearms In Delta

As a result, the complainant took possession of the suspect’s mobile phone pending repayment of the outstanding balance.

The Command said the matter later escalated on September 8, 2026, when the suspect allegedly went to the complainant’s residence at about 10pm, assaulted her and damaged her Airtel SIM registration machine valued at ₦177,000.

Following the incident, community members reportedly attempted to settle the dispute before handing both parties over to vigilantes, who subsequently took them to the Police Station.

The Police said officers heard from both sides and also attempted to resolve the matter amicably, but the complainant insisted on pursuing the case in court.

The Command explained that the suspect was therefore charged with assault and malicious damage based on the evidence gathered during the investigation.

It stressed that the criminal proceedings were not initiated over the outstanding ₦8,000.

According to the Police, the charge was connected to the alleged assault and damage to the SIM registration machine valued at ₦177,000.

Upon arraignment, the court granted the suspect bail, but the Police said he was subsequently remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre because he could not immediately meet the bail conditions imposed by the court.

The Command said he was later released after meeting the conditions.

It maintained that the claim that the Police arrested and charged the suspect to court because of his inability to repay ₦8,000 was “false, unfounded and misleading.”

The Police acknowledged that the ₦8,000 was the outstanding balance from the earlier financial transaction but said it was not the basis of the criminal charge before the court.

On the reported death of the suspect, the Command cautioned against linking it to the Police case without verified evidence.

The Command said, “As regards the reported death of the suspect, the Command considers it inappropriate to draw a causal connection between the Police case and the reported death without verified facts establishing such a link.”

It added that the circumstances surrounding the death should be established through appropriate investigation and evidence rather than “an inaccurate or incomplete narrative.”