The Lagos State Police Command has refuted claims of alleged torture and killing of Omolola Rotimi Ejioye, by policemen attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti.
Ejioye, aka Eji, died in police custody on May 7, five days after he was allegedly arrested at Ladega area of Ikorodu.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, in a statement issued on Monday, May 10, said late Ejioye was not tortured to dead but died at Falomo Police Hospital, Ikoyi, where he was admitted after falling sick.
“The Lagos State Police Command has deemed it necessary to refute and clear the air on the alleged torture and killing of one Omolola Rotimi Ejioye, aka Eji, by the operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba on Sunday 9th May, 2021, contrary to the news making waves on the social media,” the Commissioner stated.
“The Command wishes to state in clear terms that a case of suspected murder was transferred from Ikorodu Division of Lagos State to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba-Lagos on 4th May, 2021 for discreet investigation. One Rotimi Omolola, the deceased, was equally brought along with the casefile and other suspects.
“On 7th May, 2021, at about 4am, the attention of the officers on duty at the State CID, Panti, was drawn to a strange behavior of the suspect, Omolola, suggesting an underlining illness and he was quickly rushed to Falomo Police Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos where he gave up the ghost while on admission.
“The corpse has been deposited at mortuary for the performance of Autopsy to ascertain the probable cause of death.
“The Command therefore urges the general public to disregard the fake, unfounded and mischievous news which has been in circulation by certain individuals to distort the fact and escalate misinformation on the incident, for reasons best known to them,”
CP Odumosu, while commiserating with the family of the deceased suspect, reiterated that the suspect was neither tortured nor maltreated by the police, at any point, despite his alleged involvement in the murder case under investigation.
The Commissioner of Police also reaffirmed and assured the general public that the Police Command, under his watch, will continually discharge its duties in line with the provisions of the law and kick against violation of human rights as well as abuse and misuse of power in the state.