CITIZENS COMPASS –Lagos State Police Command on Wednesday, said it has launched an investigation into the cause of death of a man who died in its custody around the Lekki/Ajah area of the State.
The deceased, Abdulmujid Igbamitayo Oduga, died barely three months after his Nikai ceremony.
He died in Police custody after a neighbour orchestrated his arrest.
The family of the 28-year-old businessman is currently seeking justice.
Spokesperson of the Command while reacting to the incident on one of its official platforms assured the public that any person(s) found culpable will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
It was learnt that the late Oduga left behind an expectant mother and other family members.
The deceased’s older sister, Abisola Bakare, has since spoken about the matter.
According to her, Abdulmujid was arrested on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, by men of Ikota Police post in Lekki but his family was not contacted until his demise.
She said the deceased’s window after many hours of not hearing from her husband, she put a call across the estate agent who simply told her that Abdulmujid was arrested on Tuesday.
The family’s representatives headed for Ikota Police station where they were referred to Ajah and the news of their son’s death was shabbily broken to them.
They were told that the body had been deposited in Epe General Hospital mortuary.
Not satisfied with this, the family headed for the mortuary, lo and behold! The body was found with lacerations.
However, days after the incident, they were yet to get further details about the untimely death.
To effect Oduga’s arrest, a woman Police was said to have visited Abdulmujid’s residence and invited him to the station but failed granting him access to his family before death came calling.
Some friends of the deceased have taken to social media to express their displeasure about the untimely death.
According to the family representative, “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.”
Oduga was said to have a misunderstanding with a female neighbour, Stasia Nora, which escalated into a fight after which the latter invited the Police.
Few hours after Oduga’s arrest, his estate manager was said to have visited the Ikota Police post only for the officers on duty to deny him access.
“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 (IPO), Modinat Alaka, who directed us to Ajah Police Station because the case had been transferred there,”
“We found many senior officers in one of the offices discussing the matter.
“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 (DPO) 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.
“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 and drove straight to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, to make an official complaint before returning home at night.
“I received a call on Thursday morning to report at Ajah Police Station.
“Upon my arrival, 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.
“At Panti, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Abdullahi Lateef, questioned the officers who arrested Oduga, and they claimed to have detained him because he injured the woman’s hand during the fight.
“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 alongside the woman who fought with my brother.
“The CSP instructed them to visit the mortuary to inspect the 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,” She said.
She added that the family wants justice over the matter, “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.
Responding to the incident on Wednesday, Hundeyin said, “Investigations have since commenced. The Investigating Police Officer (IPO) and the complainant are currently in custody at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba.
“Meanwhile, an autopsy is about to be carried out to determine the cause of death, after which further necessary actions will follow.
“Members of the public are assured that a thorough investigation will be carried out and any person(s) found culpable will be dealt with in accordance with the law.”
