Confusion As Nigeria Police Officer Dies While Serving Punishment

An officer of the Nigeria Police Force has reportedly died while serving punishment at the Kogi State Command of the force.

Reports obtained by Naija News on Wednesday (today) revealed that the deceased, Taiye Atobiloye, who was serving under the Kwara State Police Command, went awol for days while on duty and was punished for the act.

He was said to have missed duty for two days at the Zone 8 Command, Lokoja, Kogi State, and when he returned, he was detained in a cell at the D Division of the Kogi State Police Command.

It was gathered that Atobiloye, with service number 232980, who was attached to the Oke Onigbin Division in Kwara State, was posted for a special duty called Quick Intervention at the Zone 8 Command for a month.

When he was due for resumption, the officer did not show up for duty for two days and was later found.

As punishment for the act, he was locked in the cell.

A source who spoke to the PUNCH on the development said Atobiloye languished in the cell for eight days, adding that the policeman died in detention.

“What happened was that every month, the Zone 8 Command usually picks policemen from every division and posts them for special duty for a month in Zone 8 Command, Lokoja, and after one month, the policemen will return home.

“So, Atobiloye, who was attached to the Oke Onigbin Division, was part of the policemen posted to the Zone 8 Command, Lokoja, but when he resumed, he didn’t come for work for two days and was punished by being detained in a cell for about eight days.

“It was when policemen checked on him in the cell that they realised he had slumped and died in the cell. At the cell he was detained, only offending policemen are usually detained there, so he was likely alone in the cell,” the source was quoted saying.

While lamenting the demise of the cop, a relative, Femi Igbekele, said efforts by his family members, including his wife, to contact him on the phone after he left for special duty proved abortive.

“AP No 232980 Inspector Taiye Atobiloye, serving at Kwara State Command, attached to the Oke Onigbin Division was sent to Lokoja Zone 8 on special duty called Quick Intervention.

“For the past eight days, all family members were calling him but no response from his phone number the phone was ringing but nobody picked, likewise his wife called him and nobody picked (up) the call until the information reached the family that he was detained at the D (Division) Lokoja, and died in the cell,” Igbekele wrote on Facebook.

The spokesperson for the Zone 8 Command, Ruth Awi, confirmed the development to journalists, noting that Atobiloye, after reporting for special duty at the command, absconded from duty and was nowhere to be found for two days until policemen found him drunk.

She said the cop was detained for him to get himself, adding that he died in custody.

She said, “He was not detained at the Zonal Headquarters, he was detained at the D Division in Lokoja. He reported at the Zonal Headquarters and then disappeared into thin air; there are punishments for people who abscond from duty without any excuse. But in his case, he did not only stay away from work, he was drunk when he was found.

“For the effect of the drink to be cleared, the boss said he should stay in the cell for two days until he is fit for interrogation to explain where he went to and where he was coming from. So, he was detained at the D Division for about two or three days after which the news came to us that he gave up.”