Family calls for investigation as man allegedly dies in SARS custody
- The Ayoade family accuses SARS operatives of arresting their family member over an issue he had with a police officer
- A source alleges that SARS operatives deposited Seun’s body in a mortuary without informing the family
- The Nigeria police force warns that if the Special Anti-Robbery Squad is disbanded, robbers would take over Nigeria
The death of one Seun Ayoade, who allegedly died in the custody of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Ondo state police command, has generated calls for investigation from the family of the deceased.
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Family members alleged that SARS operatives on October 17, 2017, at the Oke Aro area of Akure, the state capital, reportedly arrested Seun and his brother Abayomi, together with some other suspects for alleged robbery, The Punch reports.
According to a family source, the deceased was arrested by SARS operative because he had a misunderstanding with a member of the anti-robbery squad.
“They (SARS operatives) told us that they arrested some members of an armed robbery gang, who informed them that Seun was their leader, and that was why they arrested him and his brother,” the family member stated.
The source alleged that SARS operatives deposited Seun’s body in a mortuary without informing the family.
He stated that the family found out about Seun’s death when a human rights organisation was involved in the case.
Similarly, the stepfather of the deceased, Femi Ajilo, dismissed the allegations that Seun and his brother belonged to a robbery gang.
He said: "Seun and Abayomi were with me in Igbara Odo, a day before they were arrested. When I was informed that they were arrested, I quickly rushed down to the SARS office to know what happened. The policemen I met were not civil at all; they pounced on me and beat me up.
“They said I was the father of armed robbers and that I wanted to secure the release of armed robbers. It was one of them that rescued me. I saw only Abayomi, but I was not permitted to talk to him; I did not see Seun.
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“Nobody told us anything about the whereabouts of Seun. It was when we engaged a human rights lawyer that we discovered that Seun was dead in their custody. Up till now, we have not been told the cause of his death."
He called on the state commissioner of police, Gbenga Adeyanju, and the inspector-general of police, Ibrahim Idris, to apprehend those behind the death of his son.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has warned that if the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is disbanded, robbers would take over Nigeria.
The force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, made the statement in an interview published on Sahara Reporters on Sunday, December 10, when speaking on the #EndSARS campaign.
He said some complaints on the social media against the squad are genuine, and that some happened five, six years ago.
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Source: Legit.ng
