The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr Alamutu Abiodun has been called upon to investigate the case of how a man, Ezekiel Tunde Okewusi died in the police cell after spending four days at Ajuwon Police Station.
According to a petition written by Mr Alayo Akanbi, lawyer to the Okewusi family, the deceased was accused of stealing a phone and was reported to the the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) who beat him to the point of death before handing him over to the police at the Ajuwon Divisional Police Station. Rather than providing first aide of allow his family to give him medicare, the police locked him up in a cell where he died four days later.
Below is the full petition:
THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE OGUN STATE POLICE COMMAND, Eleweran, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Dear Sir, RE: DEATH OF MR. IEZEKIEL TUNDE OKEWUSI ON THE 15TH DECEMBER, 2023 IN POLICE CUSTODY AT AJUWON POLICE STATION UNDER OGUN STATE POLICE COMMAND PETITION AGAINST POLICE OFFICERS ATTACHED TO AJUWON POLICE DIVISION AND MEMBERS OF OPC AJUWON AND DEMAND FOR AUTOPSY
We are Solicitors to OKEWUSI FAMILY ably represented by: Messrs. ELISHA GBADE OKEWUSI (2) REMI EMMANUEL OKEWUSI and (3) MOSES DAMILARE OKEWUSI (hereinafter referred to as Our Client) and on whose firm instruction we cause this PETITION to your office and to take appropriate legal steps thereafter. Our clients briefed us that their cousin, Mr. EZEKIEL TUNDE OKEWUSI (born in 1977) died on the 15th December 2023 while in detention for four (4) days in the police cell at Ajuwon Police Divisional Headquarters under Ogun State Police Command on the instigation of some members of Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC) who brutalized and tortured Mr. EZEKIEL TUNDE OKEWUSI at his workshop at Pipeline Area of Akute, Ogun State.
We gathered that Ezekiel was seriously beaten by his assailants who used excessive and unwarranted force on him where he sustained serious injury before he was dumped at Ajuwon police station on the 11th December, 2023 and he died on the 15th December, 2023 while in police custody.
Please be informed that Mr. EZEKIEL TUNDE OKEWUSI who died in police custody, left behind three kids and an aged mother who are still mourning his untimely death. Ezekiel’s landlord also confirmed that Ezekiel did not come home for four (4) days until the news of his death in police custody at Ajuwon Police Station.
We further gathered that Ezekiel died as a result of brutalisation and torture by his assailants coupled with arbitrary & unlawful detention for four (4) days by the police under harsh and life-threatening conditions at Ajuwon Police cell without medical facilities. Eyewitnesses’ account showed that Ezekiel was alleged to have stolen a phone while ‘complainant’ mobilized OPC boys who tortured and brutalized Ezekiel. Meanwhile, it was reported that Ezekiel has been beaten on several occasions by the ‘complainant’ as one of the relatives confirmed that he saw Ezekiel with a swollen face about weeks ago.
Sir, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly protects right of life of every Nigerian citizen and prohibits torture, inhuman and degrading treatment meted on Ezekiel by his assailants resulting to his death and that detention of Ezekiel at Ajuwon Police station for four (4) days without charging him to court is ILLEGAL.
Our clients’ concern is that Police Officers at Ajuwon Police Station ought to have immediately arrested and questioned those who brought Ezekiel to the station and promptly contacted family members of Mr. EZEKIEL TUNDE OKEWUSI. However, police officers are culpable for detention of Ezekiel for four (4) days; for their failure to provide medical facilities for Ezekiel and for their failure to contact any family member of Ezekiel while he was in their custody for four (4) days as the family member was only contacted after his death on the 15th December, 2023 and that his corpse has been deposited in a mortuary in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Our clients further discovered that Police Officers at Ajuwon Police Station demonstrated an unacceptable level of insensitivity when they allowed suspects to walk freely until our clients requested for his arrest and subsequently, Police requested for our clients’ family to provide logistics to transfer the suspect to the State CID Abeokuta. Our Clients honestly believe that human life is sacred and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life save as provided under the law.
We therefore passionately appeal to the Nigeria Police to intervene decisively and consequently direct a full scale investigation (including conducting autopsy) into the circumstances of death of Mr. EZEKIEL TUNDE OKEWUSI who died on the 15th December, 2023 in police cell at Ajuwon Police Station and bring those involved including police officers at Ajuwon to face the wrath of law for their roles in the illegal taking of Ezekiel’s life.
We pray the Nigeria Police under your able leadership to reassure our clients and demonstrate to the whole world that right to life is sacred and fundamental; and that this case shall be given the urgent attention it deserves.
We look forward to your timely and urgent intervention.
Yours faithfully,
Alayo Akanbi,
Esq. LL.M
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