by 
The distressed family of young man, Oluwatosin Abayomi, who died in police custody, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar Adamud, demanding the prosecution of the officers suspected to have caused their son’s death.
According to documents made available to our correspondent by the family lawyer, Olayinka A. Akinwole, late Abayomi was arrested in November, 2018, on suspicion of armed robbery and was kept in prolonged detention without any form of communication with his lawyer or family.
Police counsel only informed the court of the suspect’s death at the hearing of the Fundamental Rights enforcement matter that was filed on behalf of the Applicant.
The judgment delivered by Justice O.O. Osunfisan on the 8th of October, 2019, struck out the suit for been overtaken by events [applicant’s death].
However, the learned judge strongly observed thus:
“However, before I close this judgment, I would like to make some comments on the propriety of the conduct of the Respondents. It Is rather shocking and unnerving that the Respondents having known that the Applicant is dead, failed to inform his family about his death which purportedly happened since 20th day of December, 2018 but waited until this Application was filed. This conduct is rather unbecoming. I also find it unacceptable that the Respondents who claimed that the applicant is dead and died at the State Hospital Ijaiye, Abeokuta, ogun State failed – and/or neglected to put before the Court, proper evidence of the said death issued by the State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta. The least they could have done was to file a Medical Report or Death Certificate issued by the Doctor that attended to the Applicant at the said hospital. This would have been easy to achieve more or less since the Applicant died in the hospital. Rather all they deemed fit to bring before the Court Is a wireless message which they rather shoddily failed to certify
“All of these leaves little to be desired of the conduct of the Respondents. They waited over 5 months and until this application before they thought it was wise to inform The family of the deceased Applicant of his death. I find such act rather unconscionable…
“On the basis of all the findings above, I am inclined to believe that there is more to this case that the Respondents are willing to let on…
“It is hereby ordered that the Inspector General of Police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the demise of the Applicant”, The Court declared.
A Copy of the Petition to IGP
(Dispatched twice but no acknowledgment received as at press time)
24th November, 2019
MR. MOHAMMED ABUBAKAR ADAMU (NPM, mni)
THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE
LOUIS EDET HOUSE SHEHU SHAGARI WAY
CENTRAL AREA
ABUJA
NIGERIA.
Sir,
EXTRA-JUDICIAL MURDER: THE UNLAWFUL EXECUTION OF OLUWATOSIN ABAYOMI AND OTHERS BY YOUR OFFICERS AND MEN AT THE FEDERAL SPECIAL ANTI-ROBBERY SQUAD PREMISES, MAGBON, ABEOKUTA.
We write on behalf of the family of Oluwatosin Abayomi. Oluwatosin Abayomi, is suspected to have been executed in the middle of the night while being in custody of men and officers of Nigeria Police Force, Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad (FSARS), Magbon, Abeokuta.
This dastard act was perpetrated when Mr. Ahmed Ilyasu (now deployed to Force Headquarters, Abuja) was the Commssioner of Police in Ogun State. The said Commissioner, hastily paraded Oluwatosin and others before broadcast and print media on the 8th of November, 2018 and declared them guilty without arraignment in court for trial as required by laws of Nigeria.
Our brief, based on information gathered from credible sources revealed that Oluwatosin Abayomi was called out of his cell with some other cells inmates in the middle of the night sometime between late 2018 and early 2019 and sprayed with live bullets. He died on the spot with others. The FSARS Magbon team that carried out this heinous crime was led by one woman police officer with the cognomen “Alhaja.” And the following persons AKEEM ADEYEMI aka ALHAJI AND GANI ADEYEMI aka ADMIN.
Other team members whose name are known are- AYO OKIKI, ADEBAYO OYESANMI, presently remain
unknown. While SP UBA ADAMS was the OFFICER-IN-CHARGE of the FSARS Magbon Abeokuta. Additional facts within our knowledge have been carefully stated in the affidavit and referred to copiously in SUIT-AB/219/19
BETWEEN OLUWATOSIN ABAYOMI V. COMSSIONER OF POLICE OGUN FIVE OTHERS (find attached). We challenge the police to provide credible evidence to the contrary and provide alive all other suspects who were
paraded before the media on the same date, apart from Olawale Olalekan who was said to have been released to FSARS or Inspector General of Police- Intelligence Respone Team (IG-IRT) units in Lagos State and Kunle Taiwo who
was released after paying undisclosed amount for his bail.
These aforementioned policemen via affidavit deposed to by one Inspector Gani Adeyemi, admitted that Oluwatosin Abayomi was killed while in their custody via a cock and bull story that itself is self-implicating and showed high level of professional recklessness. Incredulous and unconscionable! The incongruous lies in the said affidavit shall be laid bare in appropriate suit(s).
There was one Abel Taiwo arrested, and paraded on the same date with Oluwatosin Abayomi. Abel was murdered by unknown firing squad at an earlier date in the premises of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Magbon,
Abeokuta. This event was witnessed by Oluwatosin Abayomi, and prompted him to send out emissaries while in custody that his life is in danger. It is sad to note that after the media trial and conviction by the then Commissioner Mr Ahmead Ilyasu, he did nothing to ensure that the arrested persons where given their moment in court. It was therefore the Nigerian police through its officers that arrested, tried, convicted and murdered these innocent men.
Throughout his arrest and assassination by the police while in their custody no effort whatsoever was made to reach any of his relatives. Neither was his slain body released to the family for proper burial.
On behalf of the family of Oluwatosin Abayomi the Nigerian Police force is mandated to immediately to set up a committee as ordered by the court in SUIT- AB/219/19 BETWEEN OLUWATOSIN ABAYOMI V. COMSSIONER OF
POLICE OGUN AND FIVE OTHERS, and also to immediately release the corpse of Oluwatosin Abayomi to the family for proper burial.
There are numerous local and international legal options available to the family, all of which shall be pursued with vigour. There must be justice for Oluwatosin Abayomi and others.
Sir, also be informed that we have credible intelligence sources (through an insider) and genuine reasons to believe that the movement of some family members, former cell inmates (who have given us the details of his murder and
forced to carry the slain body of Oluwatosin and other unknown persons into the police van in the middle of the night) and counsel that represented Oluwatosin Abayomi in the above suit are being monitored by the officers
mentioned herein directly and/or via their proxies. We are being tracked via our mobile numbers.
Sir, be rest assured that this petition and judgement enclosed shall be brought to the attention of appropriate agencies of government, other security agencies, ministry of interior, media and non-governmental organisations (local and international), should dastard acts like this be allowed to go unpunished, our collective existence as a civilised nation is on a shaky stand.
Justice must be done even if heaven falls.
(Signed)
Olayinka A. Akinwole Esq.
07033439930
Olaleye Olatunji Esq.
Barristers and Solicitors, Supreme Court of Nigeria.
(Solicitors to the family of OLUWATOSIN ABAYOMI)
Cc-
- OFFICER IN CHARGE IGP X-SQUAD
- OFFICER IN CHARGE IGP MONITORING UNIT
- OFFICER IN CHARGE FORCE PUBLIC COMPLAINT BUREAU
- OFFICER IN CHARGE PUBLIC COMPLAINT RAPID RESPONSE
UNIT - OGUN STATE COMMSSIONER OF POLICE, CP TUNJI BOSUN,
ELEWERAN ABEOKUTA. - ASSISTANT INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE, AIG LAWAL
SHEHU “ZONE 2” OBALENDE LAGOS. - POLICE SERVICE COMMISSION, Federal Secretariat Complex,
Shehu Shagari Way, Abuja, Nigeria. - DISTINGUISHED SENTORS REPRESENTING OGUN STATE, IN
THE SENATE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA. - DISTINGUISHED SENATORS OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF
NIGERIA. - SENATE PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.
SENATOR AHMED IBRAHIM LAWAN. - THE SPEAKER AND HON. MEMBERS, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVE, NIGERIA. - PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA: HIS
EXCELLENCY MUHAMMAD BUHARI - VICE PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA: HIS
EXCELLENCY PROF. YEMI OSIBAJO SAN.
