By Sandra Kenneth
The family of 40-year-old Taofeek Azeez is demanding a thorough and transparent investigation following his sudden death in a police cell in Agbeye, located within the Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State.
Azeez died in custody shortly after being apprehended by local vigilantes over allegations of stealing cocoa seeds. According to reports, the incident began on Tuesday when Azeez left for his farm. Later that day, his family learned he had been taken into custody.
Key Details of the Incident
The Arrest: Azeez was apprehended on Wednesday by local vigilantes over alleged cocoa seed theft.
Palace Parading: Before being handed over to law enforcement, he was taken to the palace of the Alagbeye of Agbeye. A viral video showed the deceased being subjected to corporal punishment and paraded half-naked en route to the palace.
Police Detention: Following instructions from the traditional ruler, Azeez was handed over to a police outpost, where he was questioned and detained.
The Death: Authorities claimed Azeez committed suicide inside the cell a few hours after being detained.
Family Outraged and Suspicious
Speaking on behalf of the grieving family, the deceased’s brother, Fatai Alimi, rejected the police’s account, calling the circumstances surrounding the death highly suspicious.
“Someone whose clothes had been torn was said to have been wearing clothes when his neck was found dangling, so we urge the police and the state government to intervene,” Alimi stated.
Alimi revealed that Azeez was a hardworking family man who left behind an aged mother, three wives, and six children. The family has formally called on the Osun State Commissioner of Police to step in and investigate potential police complicity.
Police Response
Confirming the incident, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, maintained that preliminary findings point to suicide.
Ojelabi explained that after the community handed Azeez over, he was placed in a cell, where an officer later found him dead during a routine check. However, the command has assured the public that a full probe is underway.
“We are taking necessary steps to interrogate the officer in question, but our investigation so far shows that it is a case of suicide,” Ojelabi told journalists in Osogbo, adding that the family has been formally contacted.
