The family of Olashile Oduga, a car dealer, is demanding justice following his alleged death due to police torture at the Ikota Police Post in Lagos.
The tragic incident has sparked outrage and renewed calls for police accountability in the country.
Speaking on behalf of the grieving family, Oduga’s elder sister, Abisola Bakare, revealed that they learned of his passing after reaching out to the estate manager where he lived in the Chevron area of Ajah.
She said,
“It was my brother’s pregnant wife who called me on Wednesday afternoon, saying her husband’s line had been unreachable since Tuesday afternoon. So, I called the estate manager where he lived and asked him to check on him to find out why his phone wasn’t going through.
“It was the estate manager who then informed us that some policemen from the Ikota Police Post had arrested him on Tuesday afternoon.”
According to Bakare, her brother was involved in a dispute with a neighbor, Stasia Nora, which escalated into a physical altercation. Following the incident, Nora reported the matter to the police, leading to Oduga’s arrest.
She said the estate manager had attempted to visit Oduga at the police post on Tuesday but was denied access.
“So, I followed the estate manager to the police post on Wednesday, along with my sisters. When we arrived, I mentioned my brother’s name and told them we were informed of his arrest and detention at the post.
“But the officers on duty denied having any record of him. The estate manager confronted them, insisting that Oduga was present when their men took my brother away. It was at that moment that one of the officers called the Investigating Police Officer of the post, Modinat Alaka, who directed us to Ajah Police Station because the case had been transferred there,” she explained.
Upon reaching the Ajah Police Station, Bakare found senior officers discussing the situation.
“They kept telling me, ‘Madam, sorry. Take it easy.’ I asked them, ‘Sorry for what?’ and demanded my brother’s release. Then, to my shock, the Ikota police IPO started crying.
“The Divisional Police Officer of Ajah Police Station shouted at her, ordering her to speak before he lost his temper. It was then that she told me my brother was dead,” Bakare lamented.
When she inquired about what had happened, the officer claimed that Oduga had been weak upon arrival at the station and was taken to Epe General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“I asked if they had any video evidence showing him being taken to the hospital, but she said they had forgotten to take pictures. I demanded to see his body, and they told me it had been deposited at the Epe mortuary.
“The officers kept begging me, but I left the station in sorrow that Wednesday night,” she added.
Determined to take action, Bakare reported the incident to the Force Criminal Investigation Department at Alagbon that same night.
The following morning, she received a call from Ajah Police Station requesting her presence.
“When I arrived, the officers started begging again. As I was pressing for answers, some officers from Panti arrived and demanded that the case be transferred to their office.
“They arrested the woman who fought with my brother and two policemen involved in his arrest. I followed them all to Panti that Thursday,” she stated.
At Panti, Chief Superintendent of Police Abdullahi Lateef questioned the officers involved, who claimed Oduga was detained because the altercation had resulted in an injury to the woman’s hand.
“Lateef then asked if there was any bloodstain or serious injury. They admitted that there was none, only that one of the woman’s fingernails had been removed.
“He asked if she had any visible wounds or bruises, and they said no. He then demanded to know why they had detained my brother in the first place, but the officers could not answer.
“As a result, he ordered their detention along with the woman who fought with my brother,” Bakare explained.
She added that they later visited the mortuary to inspect Oduga’s body.
“When we arrived at the mortuary on Friday, the attendant brought out my brother’s corpse. His body was covered in bloodstains and showed multiple marks of physical abuse. I even saw deep handcuff marks on his wrists, indicating that he had been severely restrained.
“We took photos and video recordings of his body and returned to Panti. Upon seeing the evidence, CSP Lateef admitted that my brother must have been tortured to death. Though he apologised to us and asked us to return home,” Bakare said.
The family has vowed to pursue justice for Oduga’s death.
“As a family, we are determined to seek justice. We will get a good lawyer for the case. All we seek is justice,” she added.
Speaking on the issue, Bakare’s husband, Ayoola, who had alerted the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, on social media, condemned Oduga’s death and demanded accountability.
He confirmed that the family planned to retrieve Oduga’s remains from the mortuary on Monday for burial.
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