Tension as Police officer dies in cell after being detained for absence from duty

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A Kwara State Police officer, Taiye Atobiloye, has died in a cell at the D Division of the Kogi State Police Command, following his detention for being absent from duty for two days at the Zone 8 Command, Lokoja.

According to The Punch, Atobiloye, attached to the Oke Onigbin Division in Kwara State, was deployed to Kogi for special duty called Quick Intervention for a month.

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However, a month after resumption, the policeman with service number 232980 went absent without leave for two days but was later found.

It was gathered that as punishment for his absence without permission, Atobiloye was detained in a cell.

A source said the policeman languished in the cell for eight days, and consequently died in detention.

The source said; “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 it is likely he was alone in the cell.”

Spokesperson for the Zone 8 Command, Ruth Awi, told The Punch 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;“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.”