A month and four days after the death of 35-year-old Olatunji Jimoh in police custody in Kwara State, his family and the Balogun Fulani community of the Ilorin Emirate have demanded the immediate release of the autopsy results conducted by the police authorities.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Friday, the convener of Justice for Olatunji Jimoh, Mr. Owolabi Olumuyiwa Tayo, also pleaded with the Nigeria Police Force to charge those responsible for the youth’s untimely death, stating that justice delayed is justice denied.
It is recalled that Olatunji died in the custody of the Nigeria Police Force in Ilorin, Kwara State, on December 20, 2024, after being arrested for allegedly owing his superior at work, one Gabriel Sunday, the sum of N220,000.
The convener of Justice for Olatunji Jimoh stated that Olatunji’s family has been denied access to the autopsy report, despite claims that it was released to the Nigeria Police two weeks ago.
“They have been telling one lie after another, directing us to the doctor, who then directed us back to them. They fully know that the results do not in any way indicate that the late Olatunji hanged himself,” he said.
The deceased’s family and the Balogun Fulani community of Ilorin have called on Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to intervene in the case, “as a father and as the chief security officer of the state.” They also stated that a letter has been sent to the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, requesting his intervention.
“We are calling on the National Assembly to investigate this case holistically and address this horrific, terrible, and inhumane situation. If we allow those responsible to go unpunished, I fear that Nigeria is sitting on a time bomb that will soon explode due to the actions of some unprofessional police officers,” he said.
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The family added that the late Olatunji left behind two children and aged parents, who are currently receiving treatment at the state’s General Hospital.
“As we speak, the family is mourning, in pain, and traumatized, left to face their fate alone. How long shall we allow innocent citizens to suffer at the hands of unprofessional policemen, who do not care about the people but rather extort, brutalize, and mistreat them?” the convener asked.
