Trader arrested in lieu of son reportedly dies in police custody

One Mr. Kehinde Omotosho, a trader at Gbagi Market in Ibadan, has reportedly died in the custody of the Oyo State Police Command, after he was arrested and detained for seven days for a crime allegedly committed by his son, Kabiru.

A report lodged in a crime-reporting app, FlagIt App, said the deceased was arrested along with another of his sons, Jelili, by policemen last week and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan.

He was said to have been denied access to his relatives until he died on Wednesday.

Akin Fadeyi, Director of the Akin Fadeyi Foundation, in a statement on Wednesday, said that Kehinde, who was the breadwinner of his family, left behind an aged mother.

Fadeyi said: “We just received another sad report through FlagIt App. Mr. Kehinde Omotosho, alias Akéde, a trader at Gbagi Market, Ibadan, Oyo State, was in his house on Wednesday. Nigerian police officers from Iyaganku came to his house to effect arrest of his son, Kabiru. He was said to have been involved in a fight.

“The son was not at home. The police allegedly arrested the father in lieu of the son. This is called hostage arrest. They drove him to State CID, Iyaganku. They also took with him Kabiru’s brother, called Jelili.

“Mr. Omotosho was kept for seven days. He was not charged to court and neither were his relatives allowed to see him. Between yesterday night and today, Mr. Kehinde Omotosho died in police cell.

“The family Representative of the Late Mr. Omotosho, while speaking with me said these words, ‘The Nigerian Police has killed our family member. We are only cheated because we are not educated and because we don’t know anybody’”.

Fadeyi also vowed to battle the police over the death of the trader, saying the matter would not be swept under the carpet.

“Nigerian Police authorities are being put on notice that this matter shall not be swept under the carpet. We shall demand justice for the bereaved and his family,” Fadeyi said.