Controversy Trailing the Death of a 39-Year-Old Suspected Cultist Arrested by the Police

Controversy is trailing the death of a 39-year-old suspected cultist, Seyi Oduyiga, who was arrested by the police, during the recent cultist clashes in Sagamu, in which five persons died.

The family of the suspect said he was not a cultist, and alleged that he was tortured to death, after his arrest in Sagamu in the custody of police, at the state police command headquarters, Eleweran in Abeokuta.

His sister, Mary Oduyiga, alleged that the suspect was tortured to death because they could not cough out an N200,000 bribe and demanded to release him on bail.

She added that spirited efforts made by the family to have access to the suspect, while in custody, and to get his bail, were rebuffed until the police notified them of his death.

But the state police command in a statement on Sunday denied the claim that the suspect was tortured to death in its custody.

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The command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, said an autopsy was being conducted on the corpse of the suspect, after his death at the State Hospital, Ijaye, and Abeokuta.

The command explained that the suspect, who confessed during interrogation that he was initiated into buccaneer in 2015, was arrested along with one Gbenga Adejoke, who claimed to be a member of the eye confraternity.

Omolola said the suspect was taken to a special court on cultism at Isabo in Abeokuta last Thursday but was returned to custody when the court failed to sit.

She said the suspect who was to be re-arraigned the following day, suddenly at about 5 am last Friday, went berserk in the cell, biting, assaulting other inmates, and talking to himself.

The police spokesman said he was rushed with other inmates he attacked to the State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, for medical treatment.

According to him, the suspect died in the hospital, while others taken to the hospital were discharged after medical treatment

She said police would give further details on the suspect after the autopsy had been completed on the body.