Family petitions IG over death of UNIBEN graduate

Alexander Okere, Benin

The family of a 27-year-old man, Faith Omorogbe, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, over his death, calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to his demise.

 Faith, a graduate of the University of Benin, was said to have died in Lagos on April 16, 2016, three days after travelling with his employer, identified as one Festus Awo-Osagie.

 According to the petition signed by the family’s lawyer, Olayiwola Afolabi, the father of the deceased, Francis Omorogbe, said his late son had informed him shortly after returning home at about 4pm on April 13, 2017 that Awo-Osagie called him to go back to the office.

 Omorogbe (father of the deceased) said that his late son, however, did not return home while efforts to reach him on his mobile phone were fruitless as it was switched off.

He stated that he was later informed by some unknown persons, whom he said identified themselves as Awo-Osagie’s church members, that his son had been involved in an accident at Alausa in Ikeja, where he sustained an injury, after their vehicle was hit by a truck.

The family, however, said it suspected foul play when Awo-Osagie, who claimed to have been involved in the same accident, escaped unhurt.

According to the family, prior to his death, the late Faith had been allegedly transferred from the Ikeja General Hospital to a private hospital at Bolade, Oshodi, but was allegedly moved to the Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin without the consent of the family.

The petition read partly,“It is, therefore, our client’s complaint that his son, Faith Omorogbe, died under mysterious and suspecting circumstances; that the circumstances leading to his death point to the fact that he was involved in a auto accident with his boss, Festus Awo-Osagie.

“Our client complains further that Festus Awo-Osagie was also inside the vehicle hit by the truck, but never sustained any bodily injury of any kind and also his story leading to the said accident changes day by day with several alterations just to vindicate himself.

“Our client also complains that the team of policemen from SARS unit, state CID, who are investigating this matter, have been sluggish and reluctant to properly investigate this matter.

“These policemen have made no attempt to visit the scene of the accident, interview eyewitness or even liaise with the Divisional Police Officer, Oshodi, Lagos State, in order to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of Faith Omorogbe.”

It added, “Information reaching our client also suggests that Faith Omorogbe could have been murdered by his boss, Festus Awo-Osagie, and in an attempt to cover his tracks, he painted a false story of the accident.

“We, therefore, on behalf of our client, implore you to use your good offices to investigate this matter properly in order for justice to reign and for all those behind the death of Faith Omorogbe to be brought to book. We believe so much and have great confidence in your office.”

Efforts to reach the spokesman for the state police command, Mr. Moses Nkombe, were unsuccessful as he neither picked calls put across to him nor responded to a text message sent to his mobile line.

But Awo-Osagie denied the allegations while speaking with journalists on Monday.

He said the late Faith had to be taken to a private hospital when officials of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital said that the hospital did not have a bed space to accommodate him.

 He said, “The FRSC at Ojota was the one that rescued us. You can go to the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre, where the two of us were admitted. We were right in the hospital around 6:30am; we had the accident around 6am.

“I have no cause to take anybody’s life. God is my witness. At about 8am, they told me that he needed ICU (Intensive Care Unit) because it (injury) had affected his (deceased) brain. Immediately they said that, I called one of my brothers in Lagos.”

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Source: Punchng
Family petitions IG over death of UNIBEN graduate

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