The police in Lagos State are investigating the death of a Deputy Comptroller, Nigerian Prisons Service, Mr. Sunday Tanwoju, who died in mysterious circumstances a few weeks after he returned from a foreign mission to Darfur. The police investigation is to determine if Tanwoju died of a natural cause or if unfortunate incident had any element of foul play as the death appeared mysterious.
The NPS boss was said to have slumped and died in front of his friend’s house at Block 5A, Prison Barracks, Kirikiri, Lagos, while the two friends discussed Tanwoju’s recent trip to the troubled region.
Sources, who pleaded anonymity, told SATURDAY PUNCH that the incident occurred at about 7 pm that Thursday as the bosom friends prepared to part after their discussions. The sources, who live around the scene of the incident, added that the host of the deceased, who was also a DCP, was obviously excited about his friend’s trip to the war-torn African region when Tanwoju began to gasp for breath.
One of them said, “From the way they were talking, you would know they were saying something that excited them. Suddenly, I noticed that other people joined the two friends, but this time around, they were rushing the man into a car. I heard that the man started gasping for breath all of a sudden and slumped. He was rushed to a hospital, but I don’t know the hospital.”
A man, who simply identified himself as Kunle, told our correspondent that the man was rushed to the Naval Base Hospital, Apapa, Lagos, where he was confirmed dead.
One of the neighbours reasoned that the DCP could have been saved if there was a standard hospital in the prison quarters. He said, “Unfortunately, the man lost his life, but it could have been prevented if there was a well-equipped hospital around. They would not have had to rush him to the naval hospital.”
SATURDAY PUNCH, however, gathered that the body of the NPS top officer had been deposited at the mortuary of the Naval Base Hospital, while the incident was reported at the Kirikiri Police Station. Some of the neighbours were divided on what they believed could have been responsible for the sudden death of Tanwoju as some of them reasoned that he could have died of natural causes, while others believed his demise might be a fallout of his trip to Darfur.
The Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Command, NPS, Mr. Ope Fatinikun, said Tanwoju did not belong to the command, adding that he did not have the details of his death. But he claimed to know that the late NPS chief was scheduled to travel out of Lagos a day after his death. “I cannot make comments on the case because the said person was not from the Lagos State command; he was from the Kwara State Command. He was scheduled to leave Lagos the next day,” said Fatinikun, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone.
The national PRO of the NPS, Mr. Kayode Odeyemi, however, embarked on a long enquiry when our correspondent asked for his reaction on the death of Tanwoju, questioning the interest of SATURDAY PUNCH in the man’s death. Odeyemi observed that the death of the deputy comptroller of prisons should be the “business of the Nigerian Prisons and not the business of any other person,” demanding from SATURDAY PUNCH if the family of the deceased had lodged a complaint with the newspaper.
“What is your business in the case, he died so? Has his family lodged any complaint with you? His death is the business of the Nigerian Prisons and none of yours. His death is like the death of any other person,” said the NPS spokesman before he hissed and ended the call abruptly.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba, confirmed the incident to our correspondent, saying the death of Tanwoju was reported at the Kirikiri Police Station. Mba, a Superintendent of Police, said, “Yes. We heard about the sudden death of one Sunday Tanwoju. The report was made at the Kirikiri Police Station. Policemen went to the scene, took pictures and questioned neighbours. The investigation was discontinued because when the body was checked, there was no mark or injury that indicated foul play or an attack. The body has, however, been released for his employers and family to make necessary burial arrangements.”
source:punch
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