Family of man chased to death by police demands N5 billion compensation

The family of Idris Ajibola, a 21-year-old man chased to his death by police officers attached to Osun Joint Task Force in Osogbo last year, has demanded N5 billion as compensation.

The mother of the deceased, Titilayo Ajibola, made the demand while appearing before the state judicial panel of inquiry investigating police brutality and extrajudicial killings on Saturday.

Mrs Ajibola said the panel should assist her in getting justice for the deceased.

PREMIUM TIMES on September 15, 2020, reported how the JTF in Osogbo suspected the deceased, an apprentice in aluminium fabrication, of being an internet fraudster while returning from Osun Mall in Osogbo where he had gone to buy bread with his friends.

Following Mr Idris’ death, many youth in the state capital embarked on street protest, vandalised police vehicles and dumped the body of the deceased at Government House in Oke-Fia in Osogbo.

The spokesperson of the police in Osun, Yemisi Opalola, said then that the force launched an investigation into the matter but nothing has been heard from the police since then.

More over, the lawmaker representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/ Ejigbo federal constituency of Osun state in the House of Representatives, Bamidele Salam, threatened to sue the police on behalf of the family of the deceased but that has not been done three months after.

N5 billion compensation

Speaking before the #EndSARS panel on Saturday, the deceased mother, Mrs Ajibola, said she went through pain before giving birth to her child and the police did not allow her to eat the fruit of her labour.

“I am living in sadness since my son was killed by JTF. I want the panel to help me get justice by prosecuting the officers”, she said.

“I suffered when I wanted to give birth to him, I raised him in pain and the period that he started taking care of me, he was killed. I demand N5 billion as compensation for what was done by the JTF”, she cried.

A witness of the family, Adedayo Oyeleke, who was also in the car when police chased the boy to death, narrated his experience before the panel.

“On 15 September 2020, I was with Idris and other friends at home cooking beans. Around 2:00 p.m. on that day, we went to Osun Mall to buy bread in a car. After we bought the bread, on our way home, a red patrol van of JTF waved us to stop, which we did. They parked side by side with our car alleging we are internet fraudsters.”

“We opposed the allegation and one of the officers threatened to shoot us. He said if he killed one of us, we will all agree to the allegations. He cocked the gun, we were all scared then our driver, Abdulsalam Adekunle, ignited the car and ran.”

“The JTF gave us a hot chase and we had a fatal accident at East-by-pass dual carriage road, Ebunoluwa area of Osogbo. When they saw what they caused, they did not wait, they ran away from the scene. Something pierced the stomach of Idris Ajibola and all his intestines were out. Idris died on the spot.”

The petitioner’s counsel, Kanmi Ajibola, presented photographs of the scene of the accident and the deceased to the panel while he prayed that the N5 billion compensation should be paid to the family.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the panel, Akinwale Oladimeji, adjourned the case to January 29, 2021 for further hearing.