Police Brutality: Family Demands N50m Compensation Over Son’s Murder In Ogun

Family member of 27-year-old comedian, Sadiq Abiola Adeyanju (aka Owonikoko) said to have been killed by a drunk policeman in Oba area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, has cried out for justice.

The Adeyanju family of Iseyin, represented by Sadiq Ahmad Omokayode and Sadiq Jabar, had through their lawyer, Kayode Akinsola Esq, filed a petition before the Ogun State judicial panel of investigation set up by Governor Dapo Abiodun to receive complaints of brutality and extrajudicial killings involving security agents in Ogun State.

According Daily Post, the family is demanding a sum of N50 million as compensation for the “gruesome killing” of their son by the officer, who they identified as Tunji Ademuyegun and one other yet-to-be-identified.

Speaking on behalf of the Adeyanju’s, the counsel, Akinsola, explained how Ademuyegun, who was reportedly attached to Oba Correctional Centre, “shot the victim in the chest and stomach at a time he and his colleague abandoned their duty post to attend an end of the year party of the Association of Dredgers at Alagada, Oba.”

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The deceased, according to Akinsola, was at the party to perform as a comedian when he met his untimely death on December 19, 2019.

“Tunji Ademuyegun, who killed the deceased and another unidentified police officer were reportedly drunk and in possession of AK-47 rifles. He shot into the air several times and every attempt to caution him by his fellow officer proved abortive as a result of his drunkenness.

“In the process, stray bullets hit Sadiq Abiola Adeyanju in the chest and stomach and he died on the spot due to the injuries he sustained from the gunshot. An attempt to apprehend Tunji Ademuyegun, the police officer who shot at the victim, proved abortive as he continued to shoot into the air to scare people away until he ran into Oba prison where he took shield,” the counsel said.

It was gathered that on December 20 2019, the report of the incident was made to the Ogun Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi.

“However, it came as a surprise that efforts to get an official reaction to date proved futile as Tunji Ademuyegun, who took shield at the Oba prison remained in police asylum,” it was alleged.

According to the lawyer, a letter was written to the Ogun State Commissioner of Police on January 10, 2020, seeking justice. He, however, said the CP made no attempt to prosecute the accused police officers.

“As a result, the family of the victim caused a petition dated January 10, 2020 to be written to the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, through their counsel, who also took a step further by putting a call through to the State Public Relations Officer, Oyeyemi, who in turn promised that the culprits will be brought to justice.

“However, up till this moment, the police have failed to either prosecute the officer, who was actually arrested or arrest the yet-to-be identified police officer, who is still at large,” he stated.

Making demands, the family said: “Premised on the above, we most humbly urge you to use your exalted office to thoroughly investigate this matter and duly prosecute Tunji Ademuyegun and the police officer who is still at large for the unjust killing of Mr Sadiq Abiola Adeyanju.

“Furthermore, we demand that the family of the deceased be duly compensated for the unbearable loss of their breadwinner caused by the criminal act of Mr Tunji Ademuyegun. This becomes imperative because as at the time the victim met his untimely death, he was a young man of 27 years old, who was full of life and had a lot of future ahead of him.

“In addition, he left behind a six-year-old daughter, and an aged mother, Mrs Muibat Sadiq. Although, no amount of money can serve as adequate compensation for the life of the victim, it is our strong belief, however, that this conversation, if awarded, will go a long way to take care of the only daughter of the deceased as well as his mother, thereby mitigating their loss.

“To this end, we humbly appeal to the esteemed countenance of the honourable panel to pay a compensation worth N50 million to our client.”