Father Sue Police, Seeks N50m For Torturing Son To Death In Osun

 

Kazeem Badmus

Olumide Adesina, the father of a 21-year-old man, Olufemi Oriyomi, who died in police detention in Osogbo, State of Osun, has filed a lawsuit against the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, over the death of his son.

Joined in the suit are the Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr Wale Olokode, SUPOL Omoyele, Inspector Omoboriowo, Inspector Lekan and Officer “Baba Bolu”.

Adesina, in the suit filed before a State High Court in Ile-Ife, seeks an order of the court directing the respondents to pay the sum of N50m for subjecting his son to illegal arrest, torture, inhuman treatment and detention leading to his death.

In the suit registered HIF/30/2022, Adeshina also wants the court to declare that the refusal of the respondents to release the corpse of his son to the family to bury is a continuous denial of the late Oriyomi’s constitutionally guaranteed freedom to dignity of person.

Police Public Relations Officer, Osun Command, Yemisi Opalola had earlier in a statement said Oriyomi alongside two others; Olayade Kehinde and Raimi Sheriff were arrested in possession of human heart by the police in Safejo Area Ile-Ife on April 7. 

Opalola said Oriyomi fell sick and was taken to hospital for treatment but unfortunately died while on admission, while his corpse was deposited at the State hospital for autopsy. 

But in a 46-paragraph of affidavit in support of the Originating Motion, Adesina said Olayade who was detained with his son, told him that the police subjected them to torture and dehumanised them. 

He added that Olayade told him that Oriyomi’s condition got worse to the extent that he (Oriyomi) defecated on himself without knowing and the officers did nothing about it.

The bereaved father said: “Kehinde Olayade informed me and I believed him as follows: “that without asking question from them, the 3rd respondent said they should go and torture them.

“That they took them to the backyard, placed containers, materials and all sorts of items they did not recover from their house in front of them.

“That they tore their clothes, dehumanize them, asked them to carry some of the containers containing some items they could not understand, started snapping them with their phones.

“That virtually all the men in the station beat them, even, with sticks and freely used machetes on them, saying they must confess to be yahoo boys.

“That they were handcuffed and put in cell, even with blood coming out of their bodies. 

“That Femi could barely sit, as he was in pains, but the policemen would not care to listen to his complaints.

“That the boy could not eat, would wee and pass excreta on himself, even till Wednesday, 13th April, 2022.

“That he as a person, started crying and shouting that the boy must not die o, but none attended to him.

“That on the morning of the 3rd day, all of them in the cell started shouting and cursing the men, for their inhumanity. 

“That on that night, Femi could not sleep and everyone in the cell, even those they met there were crying, seeing the great agony the boy was experiencing, even with handcuffs. 

“That when Femi’s situation would not improve, he personally would start to shout that the boy must not die, as they refuse to release them to their brothers who were coming to seek their bail and would not take them to court.

“That later in the afternoon of Thursday, 14th April, 2022, when Femi would not stop groaning under pain, he was taken out again, but was not brought back, as usual”.