’Nimi Akinkugbe
11 May 2021
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Family members and friends of Omolola Ejioye have been protesting the circumstances surrounding his death while in the custody of the Lagos State Police Command.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Ejioye was arrested during a robbery around Ladega in Ikorodu, where a motorcyclist was allegedly killed.
During the operation, it was learnt that policemen stormed the scene and Ejioye, who visited the area to check on his yet-to-be-identified girlfriend, was arrested.
Ejioye was detained at the Igbogbo Police Station from where he was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, for further investigation.
In a post on Instablog9ja, one Quam Raji-Ogbe, said Ejiyoye died in police custody, adding that the deceased was innocent.
Some friends and family members of the deceased were also seen in a footage attached to the post carrying placards with different inscriptions and singing solidarity songs against police brutality.
The post read in part, “My coming back from work yesterday was a misery, Ejioye Omolola my street bro, the news came to me that we lost you to the Nigerian Police, despite the fact that u are Innocent on the situations and the D.P.O order them to transfer u to maximum prison, Panti, of what u know nothing about…
“I wake up this morning still picturing our moment together, haaaah, your blood will ask those policemen on your case…Nigerian Police Ikorodu and Panti, you have a case to answer…”
However, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said Ejioye was transferred to the SCIID over a case of murder, adding that when he was behaving strangely due to an underlining illness, he was rushed to the police hospital, where he died.
Adejobi stated, “The Lagos State Police Command has deemed it necessary to refute and clear the air on the alleged torture and killing of one Omolola Ejioye, aka Eji, by operatives of the SCIID, Panti, Yaba, on Sunday, May 9, 2021, contrary to the news making waves on social media.
“The command wishes to state in clear terms that a case of suspected murder was transferred from the Ikorodu Division to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, on May 4, 2021 for discreet investigation. One Omolola Ejioye was brought along with the case file and other suspects.
“On May 7, 2021, around 4am, the attention of the officers on duty at the SCIID, Panti, was drawn to a strange behaviour by Omolola Ejioye, suggesting an underlining illness, and he was quickly rushed to the Falomo Police Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos, where he gave up the ghost while on admission.”
The PPRO added that Ejioye’s corpse had been deposited in a mortuary for autopsy to ascertain the cause of death.