A policeman, Taiye Atobiloye, has died in cell where he was locked up for drinking himself into a stupor.
Atobiloye, who was serving under the Kwara State Police Command, died inside a cell at the D Division of the Kogi State Police Command, where he was posted to on special duty.
One Femi David Igbekele, a Facebook user related to the deceased cop broke the news of the incident by a post on the social media accompanied by pictures of the late officer.
“AP No 232980 INSPECTOR TAYE ATOBILOYE. serving at Kwara State command attached to Oke Onigbin division. He was sent to Lokoja zone 8 on special duty called quick intervention, for the past 8 days all the family member were calling him but no response from his phone number as the phone was ringing but nobody picked, likewise his wife called him and nobody picked the call until information reached the family that he was detained at Zone D lokoja and died in the cell,” Igbekele wrote.
The police authorities have weighed in on the report, saying the deceased was detained for absconding from work for two days and was later found drunk.
“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,” the e Spokesperson for Zone 8 Command, Ruth Awi told Punchng.
