"How NDLEA Tortured Our Son To Death" – Family Of 29Yr Old Patent Medicine Dealer, Ike Ayogu

“When we applied to see the corpse in the mortuary, the officers refused us access with our cell phones to avoid taking photographs of the corpse but we observed that his face was covered with blood. We then petitioned through our lawyer, Casmir Ugwoke Esq to the Commissioner of Police in Kaduna state requesting for thorough investigation into the brutal and sudden death of our brother. We also called for autopsy examination to be conducted on the corpse to ascertain what led to his death but both the police and NDLEA have remained adamant to our pleas.

“We also petitioned NDLEA over the issue but they refused to respond to our plight and rather ceased the lifeless body of our son who was settled last four years after his apprenticeship and he started his legitimate business in earnest.

“When we met with the police officer in charge of homicide section, they invited NDLEA but they did not respond. We then met the pathologist in charge of the autopsy section the doctor said he can’t do anything until the corona form was filled and that the form cannot be signed by the magistrate until the picture of that lifeless body is attached to the corona form and we don’t have access to the corpse. So, we are confused and don’t know what to do or where to go further after losing the bread winner of our family in such a gruesome manner.

“He is the first son amongst seven others and was the only person taking care of his aged father, mother and other members of the family and just see how life was snuffed out of him without trial. What becomes of all his dependants,?”

“The late Kenneth was arrested along with his brother and neighbor over drug offences. They were all in the same cell until he took ill. He was promptly taken to the hospital where he later died.

“If indeed he was tortured by anyone, his brother and neighbor who were with him in the cell till the day he was taken to the hospital for treatment would have known about it and in all the meetings between the family and the state command of the agency with the brother in attendance, there was no issue of torture mentioned.

“The family requested for autopsy to be conducted to ascertain the cause of death and the process for that has been ongoing with correspondences between the family and the agency on the modalities for the autopsy. As such, there couldn’t be basis for non release of the corpse.”