The family of the late Taofiki Mustapha, who reportedly died in the custody of Agbeye Police Post, has called on the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone XI Command headquarters in Osogbo, Osun State, to probe the circumstances surrounding the incident.
PUNCH Metro earlier reported that Taofiki, a husband of four wives and father of seven children, was found dead inside the police cell after he was arrested by some people in Agbeye for allegedly stealing cocoa pods and handed over to the police.
Confirming the incident, the Osun Police Command Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said, “The deceased was apprehended by the community for allegedly stealing cocoa seeds. After arresting him, they took him to the monarch of the town, and the king, in turn, instructed that they should hand him over to the police.”
The relations of the deceased, a leader in the Ogboni cult society, are, however, calling for a probe of the death in a petition addressed to the office of the AIG, Zone XI, a copy of which was obtained in Osogbo on Tuesday by PUNCH.
In the petition written by L.S Bello & Co., a law firm, on behalf of Madam Nafisat Taofiki, Oba Aree Ogboni-Abdul Wahab Oriade and Are Ogboni Kwara Awoyemi Elegbede, the family demanded a probe of the roles played by “Police Post Agbeye, Mr Mufu Jimoh, Wasiu Egbebi, Taye Olaoye, Chief Ajasa and Kabiyesi Alagbeye of Agbeye” in the incident.
The petition read in part, “That Taofiki Mustapha was alleged to have stolen 13 cocoa pods, and the above-named people beat the said Taofiki Mustapha, and the Kabiyesi Alagbeye of Agbeye directed that Taofiki Mustapha be taken to the police post after the beating.
“That, our clients state further that Taofiki Mustapha died inside the cell of Police Post Agbeye.
“Our clients state that investigation is yet to confirm that the deceased truly stole the cocoa pods.”
When contacted for an update on the petition, the Police Public Relations Officer, Zone XI Command headquarters, Osogbo, Olanrewaju Ojedele, said two suspects had made statements on the issue.
“Two suspects, Kabiyesi and one other person, have been invited, and they wrote statements on the issue. They were released thereafter.
“We are waiting for the postmortem result to know the other facts. The result will assist the police in unravelling the circumstances surrounding the death,” he said.
Giving other facts of the matter, Ojedele said, “On Monday, October 5, he (Taofiki) was accused of stealing cocoa pods. He was beaten and paraded around the Agbeye community half-naked, and he was filmed half-naked.
“A man was ordered to hand over the accused to the police at Agbeye Police Post, and the accused was received by the police officer on duty. Unfortunately, the accused was found dead the following morning under suspicious circumstances.
“The corpse has been deposited at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital. A postmortem examination has been done, and they are awaiting the results.”