17th February, 2012
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, has ordered the Office of the Public Defender, OPD, to investigate the alleged murder of Mr. Ademola Adedeji in police custody last week.
Adedeji died mysteriously in police cell at Area ‘F’ Police Station, Ikeja, Lagos, last Thursday, a day after he was brought to the station, fuelling speculations that the police might have tortured him to death and tried to cover up the case.
Fashola, who was disturbed by the murder on Thursday, ordered the Director of the OPD, Mrs Omotola Rotimi to begin intensive investigation into the matter, in order to take up the case against the police if anything shady was discovered.
The OPD director told P.M.NEWS yesterday that the governor asked her office to investigate the matter, saying that when investigation was concluded, she would submit it to the governor while waiting for the next action.
“The governor referred the case to us and we will investigate and submit our report. We have not spoken with the family yet but we are still investigating as we just got to know about the issue,” she said.
Rotimi stated that the OPD might take up the case against the police if the governor asked it to do so after investigation had been concluded in the matter, adding that “we still need more information about the matter.”
Last Thursday, Adedeji, who worked with Adebola Group of Companies, makers of Rite and Bigi Sausage Rolls located at Opebi, Lagos, was arrested at the premises of Adebola House on the orders of the Managing Director of the company.
The charge against him was that he owed the company a huge amount of money while the cheque he gave in lieu did not clear at the bank. In effect, he was taken to Area F Police Station in Ikeja.
His wife Cecilia and two of his friends were said to be with him from 2.00 pm till about 9.00 pm that day since he was refused bail and they left him hale and hearty and went home.
On returning the next day Friday 10 February 2012 at about 8.00 am, they were informed that the man they left the previous night had died.
Up till now no official statement had been made by the police and the Management of Adebola Group.
The police claimed he died in the hospital but the hospital claimed he was brought in dead while the company has been silent.
Ademola turned 39 years on Sunday 5 February 2012 and he has three kids- Temiloluwa, 7; Mojolaoluwa, 5 and Christiana, 1.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga