A resident of Lagos, Adebayo Abayomi, has accused the police of abandoning his mother’s corpse on the floor of a mortuary after she was allegedly killed by officers.
Abayomi stated this while appearing before the Lagos judicial panel on restitution for victims of SARS and other related abuses on Tuesday.
He was led in evidence by Unyime Eyo, his lawyer. Adebayo said he met the corpse of his mother, Kudirat Adebayo, abandoned on a bare floor in a mortuary after she was allegedly shot at Onipanu area of Lagos.
“I met my mother’s body on the floor. The police didn’t embalm her as they had told me,” he said.
“I’m a motorcycle rider and part-time teacher. On April 4, 2017, I visited my mum where she sells Akara (bean cake). I had not taken anything since morning and after eating, I told her she should give me money to sustain and she said 15 mins later, I should come back.
“I was still around the vicinity with my friends, when all of a sudden I heard gunshots. My friend said they’re the SARS men and that there’s a ‘yahoo guy’ who is doing birthday and that maybe they were shooting to scare them away. They normally come there for their ‘stop and search’.
“We were still talking when I received a call from my mother’s younger sister that SARS has injured her. They took her body to Olosan police station. It was when I entered their police station that I saw my mum’s dead body in their vehicle.”
Adebayo, who said he is the eldest son of the deceased, explained that one Isola, the then divisional police officer (DPO) of Olosan police station, informed him that his mother would be embalmed and that officers found culpable would be made to face justice.
“The DPO told me that he has given out money for embalming at the mortuary and that the next day we should come back for further hearing,” he said.
“So, when I got to the station, I visited the IDH mortuary, I met my mother’s body on the floor, swollen. The police didn’t embalm her as they had told me.”
On following up to ensure that the SARS officer who allegedly killed his mother would be apprehended, Adebayo said he was told the officer was on the run and could not be found.
