Ismaeel Uthman
- Two Other Suspects Released After Protest
- It’s A Lie, My Son Wasn’t A Ritualist – Grieving Father
CONTROVERSIES have continued to trail the death of a 21-year-old Ile-Ife indigene, Olufemi Oriyomi, who died in police custody.
The police claimed that Oriyomi and two others, Kehinde Olayade (25) and Raimi Sheriff (21) were suspected ritualists who were arrested on April 7, 2022 at Safejo area, along Osogbo/OAU Ife Campus road, Ile-Ife, for alleged ritual killings.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, on Friday, April 15, the police found human heart in the custody of the suspects when they were apprehended and searched by the police.
Opalola said the suspects confessed that the human heart was that of their friend whose name was not mentioned.
According to the PPRO, Oriyomi developed illness while in police custody and died at an undisclosed hospital where he was taken to.
However, contrary to the claim of the police, investigations by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that the suspects were busted and arrested at their residence located behind Olubuse Memorial Grammar School, Ogooluwa community, Ile-Ife on Thursday, April 7.
They were arrested around 5AM, according to residents of the area who spoke with the medium.
Investigations revealed that the suspects were said to be into internet fraud, notoriously known as ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’.
The medium gathered that a team of ‘CP Surveillance’ a squad said to be under direct supervision of the Commissioner of Police, stormed the residence of the suspects in a commando style.
According to some sources, the policemen scaled the fence to gain entry into the apartment of the suspects.
The sources said the ‘CP Surveillance’ officers demanded for a sum of N1.5m as a condition to release the suspects.
It was gathered that one of the friends of the suspects gave a sum of N150, 000 to the police the third day of their arrest.
The police reportedly told the concerned friend that the N150, 000 could only secure the ‘bail of the suspects’ phones’ which were released to him.
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that a relative of one of the suspects who went to plead with the police to release them was detained till the following day.
According to the sources, a sum of N500, 000 was raised by the disturbed relatives of the suspects and was given to the policemen the sixth day of their arrest.
But the police insisted on collecting the N1.5m they requested for before releasing the suspects, said the sources.
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the policemen were reportedly torturing the suspects with electric shock which resulted into sickness for Oriyomi.
Oriyomi died on Friday, April 15, eight days after he was arrested.
Oriyomi’s death lead to protests in Ile-Ife as angry youths in their numbers on Friday and Saturday thronged the streets and later went to police stations located at Moore and Iloro to kick against extrajudicial killings in the state.
A friend of the deceased named Bisi while protesting in front of Ooni of Ife palace, said: “After three of my friends were arrested by the police, we raised N1.5 million to bribe them but they told us to add to it which we refused. The police put them inside water and insert electric shock inside it. During the torture, Oriyomi develop a serious health issue and he later died.
“We are here protesting at the palace of Ooni to intervene in the incessant extrajudicial killings by the police in the state. This is the second time within a week “
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that during the protest, the youths clash with some police officers at Iloro area, which led to sporadic gunshots.
In a short video watched by the medium yesterday, some women were seeing displaying expended ammunition fired by the policemen to their house.
Besides, the medium gathered that the police have released the two other suspects, Kehinde Olayade (25) and Raimi Sheriff (21) who were arrested with Oriyomi.
They were reportedly released on Monday.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola, said the two suspects were released for medical treatment.
Opalola said: “The suspects were release to go an treat themselves so that the police will not be accused of killing them again. They were complaining of stomach disorder and that was what the third suspect was complaining too before he died. So, they were released to get themselves treated.”
Asked for clarification on the place of arrest, Opalola said: “The place of arrest is inconsequential, what matter is the crime they allegedly committed. People were caught with human heart and they confessed in their statements; and people are questioning where and how they were arrested! That is not disturbing.”
Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, the father of the deceased, Mr. Adesina Olumide, accused the police of ‘framing up’ his son after they have tortured him to death.
Olumide said Oriyomi was not a ritualist, nor an internet fraudster, saying that he just completed his apprenticeship with an aluminum fabricator in Lagos, adding that he was raising money to send Oriyomi to tertiary institution.
The grieving father said: “I was not around when the incident happened. What I was told was that they went to watch a football match on that day and his friends, whom they watch the match together, urged him to stay with them overnight since it was late.
“He was sleeping in his friends’ house when the Police officers came and arrested them around 5:00am. People said the policemen jumped over the fence. The person leaving beside that house is a policeman and he was the one that led the officers.
“After their arrest, his mother and the family of the other boys wanted to secure their bail but they didn’t attend to them.
“One of their friends went to the office of the “CP Surveillance” where they were being detained to secure their bail. The police collected N150,000 and handed over their phones to the person. I heard about the incident eight days after their arrest. I was on my way to Osogbo when I received a call that the boy has died.
“I heard that he died from the pain caused by the torture melted on them by the officers. The police who claimed they found a calabash with human heart with the boys later released the other two suspects the next day after Oriyomi died.
“I heard they collected N500,000 from the family of the other boys for their release.
“Some neighbors who were not happy with the development went to meet the police officer who led the team and he confessed that the boys are innocent and that the calabash they claimed belong to the boys had been in the police car before they arrested them.
“We went to the ‘Cp Surveillance Office’ around Oke-Fia, Osogbo, on Wednesday to demand for our son’s corpse, but the policeman in charge said it could not be released to us. I asked that I should be allowed to see his corpse but the policeman insisted that I couldn’t see it. He directed us to the Area Commander in Ile-Ife.
“When we got to Ile-Ife, our chiefs helped us to call the Commissioner of Police who told us to come yesterday for a post mortem but I don’t think they should be the one to tell us where we will carry out the post mortem.
“They already claimed the boy had ulcer but that is a complete lie. He was healthy without any sickness. He was not an internet fraudster.
“I appeal to the people of the state to help us fight our cause. The police killed my son and they are trying to oppress us. The Federal Government and Civil Society persons should please help us.”
It would be recalled that just two weeks ago, a businessman named Abiola Afolabi was killed by the police who shot him in the leg in front of his house at Capital area, Osogbo around 12:30am on April 3, 2022.
