The household of a 29-year-old tailor, Quadri Nurudeen, primarily based in Osogbo, Osun State, has demanded a radical investigation into the circumstances surrounding how Nurudeen was allegedly shot lifeless by some officers of the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Police Force.
The deceased, father of a toddler, was allegedly killed whereas he was making an attempt to escape arrest, after some cops stormed his home situated round Jaleoyemi Area of Osogbo in the early hours of Wednesday.
A cousin to the deceased, Islamiyah Omowumi, who spoke with Punch, stated males of the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Osun State Police Command masking their faces, had introduced a man believed to be a suspect in handcuffs to the deceased’s home and compelled their way in.
According to her, the landlady of the deceased was nonetheless asking the officers questions on their mission when they instructed her to present them the place Nurudeen was dwelling.
“They (the officers) just went straight to the door of the room where the deceased was living with his wife and their eight-month old baby and started kicking it, then Nurudeen’s wife opened the door for them.
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“Out of fear, my brother jumped through the window into the next compound, but the police in the process shot him in the chest and he fell. They collected his phone, that of his wife and left. He was still alive when the police left. One of his neighbours was trying to get people to help us carry him when the police came back to where he was lying and took him away in their vehicle.
“We searched everywhere for him when day broke until we decided to check the morgue of UniOsun Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, where we found him lying dead. We were told some policemen brought him and left their number.
“It was when we called the number that we got at the morgue that we discovered that it belonged to an operative of the Osun Police Anti-Cultism Unit. We went to their office and they shot into the air to disperse us. We are demanding justice for Nurudeen. He should not die in vain. Police should identify those who killed him and punish them accordingly,” Omowumi concluded.
The Osun Police Command Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, stated the deceased was suspected of involving in crime and the police that went to his home needed to impact his arrest for correct investigation to be carried out, when he tried to escape.
She stated, “He jumped and hit his chest on the ground. Police did not shoot him but investigation is still on to get more facts about the matter.”