Mr Taiwo Daniel, the father of a final-year student studying mechanical engineering at Osun State College of Technology Esa-Oke, Babatunde Daniel, has told the Panel of Inquiry investigating police brutality and extra-judicial killings that his son was killed and his corpse has not been released to date.
Daniel who appeared before the panel on Saturday in his petition disclosed that his son, Babatunde Daniel was on his last semester when he was gruesomely killed by the Area Commander Officer of Ilesha, Osun State identified as Mr Joshua Atunise after tagging him a robber.
Daniel explained that “On November 28, 2008, some students coming from an occasion were arrested at Ilo Ijesha via Ilesha by the police at a checkpoint. After they identified themselves the police refused to let them go. To further prove their identities, they called my son, Babatunde who was their leader and was not at the scene. When he showed up, he was arrested alongside other students.
“The police officers told them to give them N30,000 before they could be released but my son refused. The officers called the Area Commander, Mr Joshua Atunise that they have arrested some armed robbers terrorising the community. The Area Commander took my son and one other student to the scene where he was arrested.
“The Area Commander kept on tagging my son armed robber and his objection to the false accusation infuriated the officer, Mr Atunise shot him twice on his thigh and took him to the Commissioner of Police, Mr John Morenike in Osogbo. The CP told Atunise that my son should be given medical attention but he took him to SARS cell in Oke-Baale, Osogbo. That was where my son bled to death on November 29, 2008.
“Police arraigned my son’s colleagues but they were discharged by the court. We filed a suit against the police for killing my son and withholding his corpse. On March 29th, 2012 Court declared that the killing of my son was illegal and ordered police should pay us N30 million and arrest the Area Commander who must be prosecuted. On May 28, 2012, a letter communicating the judgement of the court to the police was received by the police but nothing was done in that respect.
” Again, on May, 4th 2020 Court directed the police to release the corpse for appropriate burial but they refused to do that. The corpse is still with the police, ” he added.
The father demanded that the panel should enforce the police to obey all court judgement.
The matter was adjourned to Thursday for hearing.
(The Nation)
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