Daughter of trader who died in police custody petitions IGP

Khadijat Omotosho has written to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, demanding an investigation into the death of her father, Kehinde Omotosho, who died in police custody.

Mr Omotosho, a trader in Gbagi market, Ibadan, Oyo State capital, died in the custody of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police on July 21.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported how a police team stormed Mr Omotosho’s neighbourhood around Agugu area at about midnight of July 16. He was arrested alongside some persons in the area by the operatives, who reportedly came for his nephew, Kabir. They arrested him instead.

Kabir was allegedly involved in a fight that led to the killing of an individual in the area.

Mr Omotosho was later remanded at the CID office at Iyaganku, for six days.

According to one of those arrested, Jelili Rasak, Mr Omotosho died in the cell on July 21 as a result of torture.

“He could not sleep because they were standing all night, day after day, inside this dingy cell. By Monday night, four days after our arrest, Mr Omotosho had developed so much discomfort that he became very ill,” Mr Rasak told PREMIUM TIMES.

This newspaper learnt that rather than give him medical treatment, the police authorities at Iyaganku tied him with ropes and made him lie face down all through the night.

However, the police spokesperson in the state claimed that Mr Omotosho died in the police clinic after a ‘brief illness’.

Meanwhile, Ms Omotosho is demanding an autopsy so the circumstances surrounding her dad’s death can be unravelled.

The Akin Fadeyi Foundation was the first to call attention, through its Flag IT programme,  to the trader’s ordeal and death. The organisation has also continued to work to get justice for the family of the late businessman.

Petition

Ms Omotosho, the daughter of the departed trader, wrote to the police boss on Monday through her solicitors, Afe Babalola and Co.

In the petition seen by PREMIUM TIMES, she stated that her late father “was an honest businessman and a responsible family man and a law-abiding citizen of this country.”

Ms Omotosho added that “she and six other children have been left without a father and breadwinner owing to the incident.”

She questioned the arrest, detention and why they were denied access to the victim for more than five days.

“Why were the deceased and Mr Jelili Rasak detained beyond the prescribed by the constitution? What is the cause of death of the deceased who prior to his unlawful arrest and detention did not suffer any obvious or underlying medical condition or ailment?” she asked.

“In view of this, we humbly request that you use your good office to set up an investigation into the allegations contained in this petition, particularly the circumstances surrounding the unlawful arrest, detention and eventual death of Mr Kehinde Omotosho in the custody of the officers of the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Oyo State CID,” the petitioner wrote.