Security guard dies in police custody in Ogun

…We suspect foul play — Employer Skapomah Global Limited (SGL) Farms has accused the police in Ogun State of brutality which led to the death of one of its staff, Shola Adeleke, who died in custody. The Managing Director (MD) of the farm, Mr Adegoke Oluwaseun, made the allegation while addressing journalists at the Crime […]

…We suspect foul play — Employer

Skapomah Global Limited (SGL) Farms has accused the police in Ogun State of brutality which led to the death of one of its staff, Shola Adeleke, who died in custody.

The Managing Director (MD) of the farm, Mr Adegoke Oluwaseun, made the allegation while addressing journalists at the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN) office, Oduduwa, Ikeja in Lagos State.

Mr Oluwaseun said Adeleke who was one of the security men that worked in the farm died on Friday, May 28, while in the custody of the State Homicide Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, Ogun.

He said Adeleke and four others, Olaitan Oluwaseun, Jimoh Ibrahim, Wasiu Adeshina and Hakeem Elegbede, were initially detained at the Ayetoro Police Station, Yewa North, before the case was transferred to Eleweran.

Oluwaseun explained that, “On Saturday, I received a call from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ayetoro that a corpse had been found in the area were we have our farm in Ipaya village, Yewa North.

“The DPO said the corpse was not found on our farm and that he would need to question some of my staff to help enhance police investigation.

“I told my staff to report to the station and support investigation in anyway, but little did I know that that would be the worst decision I will ever make.”

The farm MD further said that on arrival at Ayetoro police station, his staff, mainly the security team of the farm, were detained and “guided” by the Investigation Police Officer (IPO) on what to write in their statements.

According to him, when the police sensed that they had no case against his security men, they decided to transfer the case to Eleweran.

He explained further that, “It was then I received the news that Adeleke had died in police custody in circumstances the police could not explain.”

He said the police allegation that a corpse was found around his farm area was a plot to stop him from farming in order to promote cattle grazing as that the location of his farm was green and good for animal breeding.

He said, “We have demanded from the police to produce the so called corpse, but till date, nothing has been produced.

“They claim that the body had been buried. How do you bury evidence in a murder case and claim to be investigating?”

Meanwhile, the Ogun police spokesman, ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said Adeleke was identified by a witness in the murder case.

Oyeyemi said one of the cattle herders was accosted by members of the security team of the farm and taken away on a motorcycle to be later found dead around the farm area, and concluded that, “It is a case of murder and investigation is ongoing.”

On the farm’s security man dying in custody, the police spokesman said, “Adeleke fell sick while in custody and was taken to the hospital, but unfortunately he died.” (NAN)