Family petitions IGP after Lagos barber dies a day after police release
The family of Lagos barber Babajide Adelowo has asked Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu to order an independent investigation and a post-mortem examination, Punch reports. Adelowo died on 4 November, a day after his release from police custody.
In a petition dated 5 November and reported by Punch on 12 November, the family alleged that officers of the Lagos State Police Command’s X-Squad tortured Adelowo in detention. Lagos Police spokesperson Abimbola Adebisi denied the allegation in an earlier interview with the newspaper and said the command would issue a statement.
Punch reported that officers arrested Adelowo at his barbershop in Iyana-Iba on 6 October over suspected possession of firearms and released him on 3 November. His wife told the newspaper he could barely walk when officers handed him over to the family with a hospital referral note.
A hospital report described by Punch recorded severe anaemia and gastrointestinal bleeding complicated by haemorrhagic shock. Adelowo died after efforts to resuscitate him failed. The underlying cause of the bleeding and any link to his detention remain undetermined.
The family’s solicitors asked the IGP to identify and investigate the officers involved in Adelowo’s arrest, questioning and detention. As of 12 November, IDNN could not verify whether Force Headquarters had acknowledged the petition or ordered an investigation or post-mortem.