A 30-year-old student and aluminium worker in Ibadan, Oyo State, identified as Al-Amin Mohammed, has died after allegedly ingesting rat poison three days after his release from the Agodi Custodial Centre, where he had been remanded following a dispute involving an N8,000 debt.
According to a report by Saturday PUNCH published on September 19, 2026, Al-Amin was released from custody on September 14 after his parents stood as sureties to perfect his bail.
The deceased, who was studying at a polytechnic in Kwara State while working as an aluminium fixer, had reportedly been involved in a dispute over an outstanding balance from a transaction initially valued at about N23,000.
His mother, Simiat Mohammed, told Journalists that her son had paid N15,000, leaving an alleged balance of N8,000. She said a disagreement later occurred after his phone was seized, leading to an altercation and his subsequent detention.
The family alleged that Al-Amin was first detained overnight by a vigilante group before being handed over to the police at the Sanyo Divisional Police Station in Ibadan on September 9.
He was subsequently taken to court on September 10 and granted bail of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum. However, he was remanded at the Agodi Custodial Centre pending the perfection of his bail conditions.
His parents eventually secured his release on September 14.
According to his mother, Al-Amin became withdrawn after returning home and repeatedly complained that his reputation had been damaged by the experience. She said he stopped eating and interacting normally with people.
Three days after his release, on September 17, the family said he ingested rat poison at his residence in Ibadan.
He was reportedly taken to several hospitals in an attempt to save his life. His father, Habeeb Mohammed, said three hospitals rejected him before he was eventually admitted at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, where doctors later pronounced him dead.
The family has alleged that the circumstances surrounding his detention and prosecution contributed to his deteriorating emotional state and has called for an investigation into the matter.
However, the allegations against the police have not been independently established. The Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, said he was unaware of the incident, while a subsequent message sent to him seeking further clarification had not been answered at the time the report was filed.
The complainant, identified as Kazeem, also gave his own account of the dispute. He said his intention was to recover money allegedly owed to him and denied intending to pursue the matter as a prolonged legal case.
Kazeem said the dispute escalated after an alleged struggle involving a phone, which he claimed resulted in damage to another phone used for his business. He said the matter was eventually referred to the police after attempts to resolve it through local channels failed.
The family is now calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Al-Amin’s detention, prosecution and subsequent death.