#EndSARS : Families Of Victims Killed By Police In Ogbomosho ‘Forced To Swear’ Not To Investigate – Lawyer

The families of some victims allegedly killed by the police during the #EndSARS protests in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have filed criminal complaint against the police before the Oyo State Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ogbomoso.

The families accused the police of extrajudicial killing of their sons and perverting justice by allegedly covering up their crime.

Counsel for the bereaved families, Hussein Afolabi, alleged in the complaint that the Divisional Police Officer of the Owode Police Station, Ogbomoso, Babalola Sarafa, and the Area Commander of the Ogbomoso Area Command, Yemi Oyeniyi, and other policemen fired at protesters which led to the death of four youths: Jimoh Isiaq, Ganiyu Moshood, Taiwo Adeoye and Pelumi Olatunji.

The counsel also alleged that the police officers perverted justice, which is an offence contrary to Section 126, Criminal Code Cap. 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria.

In the affidavit to support his claims , the lawyer alleged that the police compelled the victims’ families to swear to an affidavit against investigation into the deaths.

The lawyer also claimed that the DPO insisted that he would not approve the release of the corpses of the youths unless the families swore to the affidavit that they would not carry out any forms of investigation into the cause of the deaths.

Afolabi added that it was after they did the police officer’s biding that he asked the chief medical director of the teaching hospital to release the bodies for burial.

The lawyer alleged that Isiaq was at a distance away from protesters when he was killed, while Moshood was on a motorcycle when he was shot dead.

Olatunji was said to be playing football with his friends when he was shot, while Adeoye was killed when some youths took Moshood’s corpse to the palace of the Soun of Ogbomosho land.

Our correspondent also gathered that some of those shot and injured by the police were also taken to LAUTECH Teaching Hospital where they were treated.

It was gathered that the corpses of Moshood, Adeoye, and Olatunji were deposited at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital mortuary, Ogbomoso, on October 11, 2020, by policemen from the Owode Police Station.

The affidavit read in part, “Based on my interactions with authorities at the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho, on October 13, 2020, the police, who are in this case represented by the defendants, are expected to direct the hospital to conduct autopsy on the bodies of Ganiyu Moshood, Taiwo Adeoye, and Pelumi Olatunji, whose remains were deposited in the hospital by policemen on October 11, 2020. This is usually done by the police submitting the requisite forms to the hospital for the post-mortem examination of the bodies.

“As of October 13, 2020, when I had the interactions with the teaching hospital, the police had not requested the hospital to conduct any post-mortem examination. Acting on the instructions of the victims’ families, I asked the authorities at the teaching hospital to conduct post-mortem examination on the bodies to determine the cause of death and circumstances leading to their deaths.

“The defendants, upon having knowledge of the victims’ families’ interests in conducting post-mortem examination on the bodies of their loved ones killed in Ogbomosho during the nationwide #EndSARS protests, summoned each family to their Owode Police Station, Ogbomosho, and compelled them to swear to an affidavit against an autopsy, investigation into the crimes, and prosecution of any person(s) found culpable.”