CSOS DEMAND INDEPENDENT PROBE INTO OYO STUDENT’S DEATH

** **

Lawyers and civil society organisations have called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of 30-year-old Al-Amin Mohammed, a polytechnic student who died three days after his release from custody in Oyo State.

The calls followed questions over the police handling of a dispute involving an outstanding N8,000 debt. Mohammed was released from the Agodi Custodial Centre in Ibadan on September 14 and died on September 17.

The Oyo State Police Command had denied that Mohammed was arrested or prosecuted over the debt, saying he was charged over alleged assault and malicious damage to property belonging to a Point-of-Sale operator.

However, a charge sheet cited by Sunday PUNCH showed that the alleged offences were conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace and malicious damage to an Android Itel phone. The second count also referred to the N8,000 debt.

Lawyers and rights groups questioned the use of criminal proceedings in a dispute that involved a private debt. They also raised concerns about the circumstances of Mohammed’s arrest, detention, bail and subsequent death.

The Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Okechukwu Nwanguma, called for an independent review of the matter.

Other rights advocates urged the Inspector-General of Police and relevant oversight bodies to investigate the conduct of officers involved and establish what led to the escalation of the dispute.

The police have maintained that the N8,000 debt was not the basis of Mohammed’s criminal prosecution and said the circumstances of his death should be established through proper investigation.