Police Torture Lotto Operator To Death In Lagos
*He Did Not Die In Our Premises -Police
A 43-year-old man in Oke-Afa community, Ojo Local Government was
allegedly tortured to death Wednesday by policemen attached to
Okokomaiko Police Station, Lagos State.
It was gathered that the deceased, identified as Bukola Adeogun, was
arrested along with over 30 residents of the community by the
policemen at about 10 pm on Tuesday night during an alleged raid of
criminal hideout.
Residents said Bukola, who operates a Lotto kiosk located at the
entrance of his resident, 23 Oke-Afa Street, was allegedly arrested
while leaving the kiosk for his apartment.
It was learnt that apart from Bukola some of the 29 other residents,
who were arrested during the raid, were allegedly detained by the
police.
Bukola, a father of four including a two-month old baby, was said to
have been allegedly tortured to death during interrogation.
Narrating the development to journalists , the deceased’s wife,
Adewunmi Adeogun said few minutes after the policemen left the
community, she went to the police station but was not allowed to see
her late husband.
“He was about leaving his shop when the police apprehended him on
Tuesday night. And efforts to ensure he was not taken away by the
police proved abortive because many who could plead for him had also
ran away to prevent been arrested by the police.
“After they left the community, I went straight to the Police Station
with some co-tenants, begging them to release him to me. But they did
not. I was asked to come today (yesterday), to seek his bail. I left
the Station that night.
“At about 2 am today (yesterday), the police brought him home. But at
that time, my husband was already emitting forms from his mouth. He
could not move any part of his body. All efforts to revive him proved
abortive.
“When I inquired from those who were arrested with him, they claimed
that he was tortured with teargas during the interrogation.”
According to her, on realizing the consequence of my arrival today
(yesterday) to meet the corpse of my husband, they released his body
at about 2 am.
When our correspondent visited the Police Station hundreds of youths
and deceased relatives were sighted at the entrance of the station,
demanding to have a chart with policemen who came to their community
for the raid.
A relative of the deceased, who identified himself as Yusuf, told our
correspondent that the police was allegedly responsible for the death.
He said: “Why would he be released at 2 am and not either yesterday
(Tuesday) night or this morning. It is an indication that they knew
the consequence of their atrocity. We will not allow this to be swept
under the carpet.”
Reacting to the allegation, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO,
Chike Oti said his men were never responsible for the death of the
43-year-old man.
“What happened is that criminal hideouts within that axis were raided
by the Policemen attached to Okokomaiko Police Station.
“And he was among those brought to the station for interrogation. Few
minutes later a women stormed the station claiming that his husband
was among those arrested during the raid.
“She claimed that the man was sick and demanded that he should be
released to her. The police obliged her, releasing her husband. And
they went home together. So, no one died within the police premises
nor was tortured to death.”
