Family demands justice as man dies in Osun police cell

The family of a 40-year-old man, Taofeek Azeez, has demanded justice following his death in police custody at Agbeye, in the Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that Azeez died in custody shortly after local vigilantes arrested him over an accusation of stealing cocoa seeds.

He was reportedly arrested on Wednesday and taken to the palace of the Alagbeye of Agbeye before being handed over to the police.

A video sighted by Saturday PUNCH showed the deceased being subjected to corporal punishment and paraded half-naked while being taken to the palace.

Speaking with our correspondent on Friday, the deceased’s brother, Fatai Alimi, accused the police of complicity and urged the Osun State Commissioner of Police to investigate the circumstances surrounding Azeez’s death.

“On Tuesday morning, he left the house for the farm, and it was later that day we learnt that he had been taken to the police station for allegedly stealing cocoa seeds.

“Before that, he was taken to the palace, where he was subjected to corporal punishment and stripped naked.

“It was surprising to hear that he had killed himself inside the cell; his death looks suspicious.

• How we robbed Osun monarch of N50m valuables – Suspects
• Suspected cocoa thief found hanging in Osun police cell
• Suspected cocoa thief dies in detention, police probe officer

“Someone whose clothes had been torn was said to have been wearing clothes when his neck was found dangling, so we urge the police and the state government to intervene.

“He was a father of six children with three wives, and he also left behind an aged mother,” he said.

Confirming the incident, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, stated that the deceased committed suicide while in police custody.

“The deceased was apprehended by the community for allegedly stealing cocoa seeds,” Ojelabi told journalists in Osogbo.

“After arresting him, they took him to the monarch of the town, and the king instructed that they should hand him over to the police. He was taken to the police outpost, where he was questioned and subsequently detained,” the police spokesperson added.

“A few hours later, when the officer went to check on him in the cell, he had committed suicide,” Ojelabi stated.

The police spokesperson noted that the officer in charge of the cell would be interrogated, adding that the deceased’s family had been contacted.

“We are taking necessary steps to interrogate the officer in question, but our investigation so far shows that it is a case of suicide,” Ojelabi added.