Oluwabukola, the widow of Taiye Atobiloye, a police inspector who perished in a cell at the D Division of the Kogi State Police Command, has accused the police of killing her husband because he refused special duty.
Atobiloye passed away in a police cell after being detained for being absent from duty for two days at the Zone 8 Command in Lokoja, Kogi State.
Oluwabukola's prospect of becoming a mother after 12 years of marriage ended after four stillbirths, as she continued to wonder how her husband died after seven days of being held incommunicado in a Lokoja police cell.
She posed the rhetorical question, "How could police do this to one of their own?"
"I wish for the world to know what was done to my spouse. She lamented, "They extracted a large sum of money from him before torturing him to death."
During a meeting in early April 2023 at the Oke Onigbin Police Division in Kwara State, the Divisional Police Officer, Stephen Aigbogun, reportedly announced that a particular inspector would be assigned to special duty at the Zone 8 Police Command in Lokoja, Kogi State.
The widow of the deceased claimed that the affected police inspector found a means to avoid the assignment, and her husband was chosen as a replacement.
Oluwabukola, a teacher at a public school in the state of Kwara, stated that Taiye's rejection of the deployment sowed discord within the division.
However, a senior officer purportedly persuaded the Ikosi, Kwara State native to wait in Ilorin while he pleaded with the divisional officer on his behalf.
"My husband traveled to Ilorin on April 3, as the officer vowed to contact him the following day.
"However, throughout the day he did not. My husband called him on Wednesday night and he informed him that he had received a signal to report to Lokoja.
"My spouse stated that, as a family man, he was unable to travel without raising funds for his transportation and lodging. He promised to leave the next Monday.
"However, beginning on Good Friday, the police in Lokoja began calling him and asking where he was," she added.
According to her, Taiye traveled to Lokoja on Easter Monday with medical documentation indicating he was unfit for the special assignment after obtaining sufficient funds.
The PUNCH has learned that the police inspector was involved in an accident on his way to night duty in 2019.
A motorcycle was said to have crushed his limb.
At the time, he was hospitalized and treated at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital following a series of X-rays.
Oluwabukola stated that her spouse traveled to Lokoja with copies of his medical records to request a deployment reversal.
Assistant Area Commander reportedly expressed surprise at the inspector's assignment and promised to send another signal for his return to Kwara.
According to the wife, Taiye was forced to spend money to improve the signal's speed.
"The assistant area commander affirmed that the new signal was currently being typed. He (the assistant area commander) stated that he was going to dine, and that my husband should not report just yet.
"Before the man's return, he had spoken with the DPO at Oke Onigbin and reached a new agreement.
"Because my husband had spent a substantial amount of money, some of which he had borrowed from me, without receiving the letter, he left Lokoja on April 13."
"When he returned, I asked him why he did not remain, and he explained that his spirit was troubled, so he went home. I instructed him to return since he had no other employment and his uniform was still there. She added, "He promised to return the following Tuesday."
Monday, the Oke Onigbin Divisional Traffic Officer called Oluwabukola and demanded to know where her spouse was and why he had not yet reported for the special assignment.
She reported that Taiye stole her phone and promised to return to Lokoja the next day.
She continued, "When my husband returned to Lokoja the following morning, he contacted me and said he had been asked to report to the 'D' Police Division for absence from duty without permission.
"He also called to inform me that he was at the counter with other officers on duty." He stated that he would be placed in a cell and that I should not worry because it was standard police procedure, but that he would be released the following day.
"At 8 o'clock that evening, I called him, but no one answered. Throughout the course of the day, the phone rung. The following morning, I called him over twenty times, but no one answered.
"On the third day, I repeated the same actions, but nobody chose me. I was terrified and called his sibling in Lagos to alert him," she continued.
According to reports, Taiye's brother spoke with the Oke Onigbin DPO, who also questioned why the inspector's phone was taken from him.
Oluwabukola reported that when she attempted her husband's phone for the fourth day, it was off.
However, while she was attending church on Sunday, she received a call from one of her husband's acquaintances in Ilorin.
"I did not answer the call because our line was still in service. I saw the message he sent after the service informing me that my husband's condition was critical.
"When I contacted the man, he informed me that my husband was ill and that he had messed up the cell where he was being held.
"I informed the individual that he was merely a family friend and questioned why he was contacted instead of me or another family member.
"I asked the fellow for the phone number of the individual who provided him with the information.
She added, "He said that my husband's phone was used to make the call and that the caller did not identify himself."
She stated that she informed her husband's family of the situation, and that the deceased's sibling called the Oke Onigbin DPO, but he did not answer.
Oluwabukola reported that when she repeatedly dialed her husband's phone number for two days, no one answered.
However, around 4 p.m. on Monday, April 24, she received a phone call from Taiye's brother informing her that her spouse had passed away in the cell.
"He stated that the Oke-Onigbin DPO summoned him. I told him it was impossible for my spouse to be dead because his phone was unanswered when I called.
"I immediately dialed his number again, and an individual who identified himself as Inspector Musa or Isa answered. I inquired as to why he had my husband's phone for seven days and instructed him to return it.
"He then disconnected the phone. I requested to speak with the DPO by calling the DTO of Oke-Onigbin. I questioned the DPO about where he sent my husband and what he did to him. He advised me not to tell him such nonsense. She added, "He said my husband went on duty and disconnected the call."
Saturday PUNCH learned that the matter was reported to the office of the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, who promised to investigate and ensure that justice was served.
While demanding justice, Oluwabukola lamented the manner in which her police officer spouse died.
"Aside from the accident in which he fractured his leg, my spouse was not ill. He may have been poisoned or the cell may have been doused with chemicals.
"I wish for the world to know what was done to my spouse. She added, "They extracted a large sum of money from him before torturing him to death."
The bereaved teacher described her husband as kind and affectionate, adding that she advised him to leave the police force, but he requested three more years.
"We were wed for twelve years. By this time (12 noon), he would have called me six or eight times to inquire about my well-being. He was a very upbeat individual.
"Around the same time that he had an accident that affected his leg, I had a minor one that affected my hand and made it difficult for me to wash clothing. Due to this, he only permitted me to cook while he washed the garments, laid them out, ironed them, and cleaned the house.
"They removed him from me without warning. We have had more than four stillbirths. "They are now requesting that I come and collect his body as if he were an animal," she stated.
Folashade Alase, the older sister of Oluwabukola, was among the visitors. She questioned why the police would shut off the inspector's communication with his family.
She stated, "Now that he is dead, they want us to come collect his body."
A source told the PUNCH that the police abandoned the victim until he perished while he was defecating in the cell.
"The DPO of the 'D' Division in Lokoja, Adigun Salami, must justify what transpired in his cell. I was informed that he defecated until his death without seeking medical attention. "We want to know who gave the order for him to remain in the cell," the source explained.