Policeman dies in prison after being detained for running from work

A Nigerian policeman has been declared dead after he was placed in a prison cell following two days absent from work in Kwara State.

TopNaija confirmed that the Police officer, identified as Taiye Atobiloye died in a cell at the D Division of the Kogi State Police Command,.

This follows his detention for being absent from duty for two days at the Zone 8 Command, Lokoja.

TopNaija gathered that the deceased wuth service number 232980, was deployed to kogi for some special duties for a month.

A month after resumption, the policeman went absent without leave for two days.

It was gathered that he was found in an unpleasant environment, and for that, he was punished, Atobiloye was detained in a cell.

A source said the policeman was in anguish in the cell for eight days, and then gave up while serving his punishment in detention.

The source said; “What happened was that every month, the Zone 8 Command usually picks policemen from every division and posts them for special duty for a month in Zone 8 Command, Lokoja, and after one month, the policemen will return home

“So, Atobiloye, who was attached to the Oke Onigbin Division, was part of the policemen posted to the Zone 8 Command, Lokoja, but when he resumed, he didn’t come for work for two days and was punished by being detained in a cell for about eight days.

“It was when policemen checked on him in the cell that they realised he had slumped and died in the cell. At the cell he was detained, only offending policemen are usually detained there, so it is likely he was alone in the cell.”

Confirming the incident, the Spokesperson for the Zone 8 Command, Ruth Awi, said that Atobiloye, after reporting for special duty at the command, absconded from duty and was nowhere to be found for two days until his colleagues found him in a drunken state.

She said;“He was not detained at the Zonal Headquarters, he was detained at the D Division in Lokoja. He reported at the Zonal Headquarters and then disappeared into thin air; there are punishments for people who abscond from duty without any excuse. But in his case, he did not only stay away from work, he was drunk when he was fofound.

“For the effect of the drink to be cleared, the boss said he should stay in the cell for two days until he is fit for interrogation to explain where he went to and where he was coming from. So, he was detained at the D Division for about two or three days after which the news came to us that he gave up.”