Operatives of the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos have given more insight into the circumstance 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 didn’t only deny that the land agent was tortured to death, but that he was also given necessary medical attention before he gave up the ghost.
At a briefing in his office, Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, said he was shocked by the report that Taiwo was murdered by the police, describing it as “false and 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 Ilyasu on the activities of cultists in the community were quite 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 of that, shops, schools and all businesses in the town are forced to closed down, with people, young and old, scampering for safety, while a lot of people had fallen victims, with several properties destroyed each time the hoodlums go on 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 to the scene that 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, killed one and left 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.
“It was a lie.
“There was no time we tortured the land agent and his friend.
“We only went to the community to maintain law and order.
“We also have blood running in our veins.
“We don’t know where the information emanated from that we didn’t take them to hospital.”
The only surviving victim in the Isiu clash that led to the death of 38-year-old Taiwo, Femi Animashaun, has also exonerated the operatives of the Zone 2 Command of alleged torture and claimed the late man was tortured by hoodlums.
The 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 her husband died in custody.
But Animashaun said he was just a victim of circumstances, as he went to the community to inspect his building in company with the deceased.
He said: “We were caught in the middle of the clash.
“I am grateful to the police because they rescued Taiwo and I, but Taiwo could not make it.
“It was not the police that beat us, but some land grabbers.
“The police only rescued us.
“They took us to the hospital.
“If not for the police, I would have also died.”
Meanwhile, the newly coronated Oba of Isiu, Oba Kayode Raji, said after he was installed as the Oba, some of the residents were coming to the palace to place congratulatory banners in his honour.
Oba Raji said: “Unfortunately, on September 4, I was in the palace when I saw some hoodlums led by Yunusa, a land grabber, who invaded the palace in an attempt to abduct me around 7am.
“They vandalised so many things in the palace and cars.
“The local vigilante was able to apprehend two of the hoodlums after they had exhausted their ammunition, but they were beaten up by angry mob before they were rescued by the police who were deployed to the community to maintain law and order.”
