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Yakubu Eleto Chambers, counsel to the late Omolola Ejioye who died in unlawful detention after he was arrested by operatives of the Nigerian Police Force, Lagos State Command, has reacted to the statement by the Lagos Police Command Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi.
In the statement, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, was quoted as saying that the suspect was neither tortured nor maltreated by the police, at any point, despite his alleged involvement in the murder case under investigation.
“On 7th May, 2021, at about 4am, the attention of the officers on duty at the State CID, Panti, was drawn to a strange behavior of the suspect, Omolola, suggesting an underlining illness and he was quickly rushed to Falomo Police Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos where he gave up the ghost while on admission,” Adejobi said.
The police spokesperson added that the corpse has been deposited at the mortuary for the performance of Autopsy to ascertain the probable cause of death.
The lawyers, however, described the position of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State as “wicked, worrisome, heartless and unnecessary at this time,” adding that the story narrated by the police was laden with half-truths.
Yakubu Eleto Esq, Head of the Chamber, said: “First and foremost, it must be stated categorically that the death of OMOLOLA EJIOYE was as a result of professional negligence of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCIID) Panti and Divisional Police Command, Igbogbo and unnecessary seek of vengeance by the DPO Igbogbo police station (who said before the public that he knew Ejioye was innocent but he was going to deal with him).
“Secondly, we state clearly that Ejioye didn’t die in Falomo Police Hospital but died in the custody of the police at SCIID Panti due to torture and denial of bail.
“Thirdly, Ejioye was never involved in the murder case of anyone. He has never held gun in his life, talkless of participating in a crime of such magnitude. We regard such news report by the office of the CP as false misleading and unprofessional of the Police Chief in Lagos State.”
Eleto said it must be stated that Omolola Ejioye’s life was unjustly taken due to professional negligence of the police of SCIID.
“Omolola Ejioye was innocently arrested in a raid by the men of Igbogbo Police Division of Lagos State on the 2nd day of May, 2021 where the DPO threatened to deal with him,” he said.
He added that the CP should tender an apology and adequate compensation to the family of Omolola Ejioye, a dutiful breadwinner.
Eleto said: “Should the police become bossy, stubborn, unyielding and recalcitrant to apologies to the family and do the needful, we would be left with no other option than to perfect our briefs and call for the punishment of the officers involved.”
“In the meantime, we strongly call on the Commissioner of Police Lagos State to immediately tender a written apology to us on behalf of the family not later than Monday 17th of May 2021.”
