Family Demands Justice Over Death In Police Custody

The family of Taofeek Azeez, a suspect who died in police custody at Agbeye, in the Odo-Otin local government area of Osun State has demand for justice, just as the state police command insist that he committed suicide.

The 40-year-old man, Taofeek Azeez, reportedly died in custody shortly after local vigilantes arrested him over an accusation of stealing cocoa seeds.

He was said to have been taken to the palace of the Alagbeye of Agbeye after he was accused of stealing cocoa seeds on Wednesday and consequently handed over to the police.

A video sighted online showed the deceased being subjected to corporal punishment by the residents of Agbeye who had arrested him before he was taken to the palace.

Commenting on the sad development, one of the deceased’s brothers, 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.’’

Alimi claimed that the deceased was a father of six children with three wives, and also left behind an aged mother,

But 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.