Operatives of the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, have given more insight into the circumstances that led to the death of a 32-year-old land agent, Yemi Taiwo, at Isiu, Ikorodu area of the state on Tuesday.
The police denied that the land agent was tortured to death, adding that the deceased was given necessary medical attention before he gave up the ghost.
At a briefing at his office in Onikan, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Ahmed Iliyasu, said he was shocked with the report that Taiwo was murdered by the police, describing it as unfair.
The AIG, who was represented by the officer in charge of Zonal Monitoring Unit, SP Adams Uba, said over a period of time, reports reaching the AIG on the activities of cultists in the community were disturbing and the police were doing their best to curtail the activities of the hoodlums.
He said: “The hoodlums always hold the community hostage and as a result, shops, schools and businesses in the town are forced to closed down, with people, young and old, scampering for safety.
Many people have fallen victims, with properties destroyed each time the hoodlums go on the rampage.
“On September 4, the hoodlums, numbering over 20, stormed the community wielding guns and invaded the palace of Isiu, shooting sporadically into the palace. While the clash was ongoing, some youths in the community, in a reprisal, apprehended two of the marauders and inflicted serious injuries on them. It was the quick arrival of our officers at the scene that ensured we were able to rescue the two victims from the mob, who were about to lynch them and we took them to the hospital for urgent treatment.
“We gave the victims necessary medical treatment, but one of them, Taiwo, could not make it. We recovered a gun and cartridges from the victims. What do we stand to benefit after rescuing the victims, kill one and leave one alive? It is not logical. We were not there when they were fighting each other. We only responded to distress call and as police officers, we rescued the victims.
“There was no time we tortured the land agent and his friend. We only went to the community to maintain law and order. We don’t know where the information emanated from that we didn’t take them to hospital.”
Wife of the deceased, Olabisi Taiwo, who wept uncontrollably on Wednesday, had alleged that it was while the police were returning them back to their annex office at Ikorodu that his husband died in custody.
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