Farmer Calls for Investigation of Death of Farm Staff in Police Custody

..Alleges threat to life by herdsmen

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

A farmer in Ipaya in Yewa North Local Government Area (LGA) of Ogun, Seun Adegoke, has called for investigation into the death of one of his farm staff, one Shola Adeleke, in police custody.

Adegoke, who is the Managing Director of Skapomah Global Limited, said one of his five guards who were detained by the police and were allegedly tortured to force them into admitting a crime they never committed, died at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Eleweren on May 28, 2021.

He also alleged that one of his detained employees was yet to be accounted for by the police whom he said had released the other three.

Narrating his ordeal, Adegoke said he was afraid for his safety and those of his workers because he received information that a bounty has been placed on his head.

He also alleged that he was certain his workers, who resumed duty on May 16, were framed up in an attempt to leave his farmland desolate so that marauding herdsmen can graze their cattle there as they did in the past which cost him over N50m losses.

But the police have described as mischievous and malicious, allegations that Adeleke was tortured to death, insisting he took ill, was rushed to the hospital where he died.

According to Adegoke, trouble started on May 22, when he received a telephone call from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ayetoro, about a corpse that was seen around the area his 5,000 acres farmland is located.

“On phone, he (DPO) told me a corpse of a Fulani man was found around the area where we have our farm in Ipaya village, off Anigbado, Yewa North. I asked him if the said corpse was found on our farm which he said no.

“However, considering it is a suspected murder case, he would like my workers to come in for possible questioning to help enhance police investigation. As a law abiding Nigerian with massive investments in the area I immediately summoned my farm managers and security team to report and support the police investigation in any way.

“I must state that the police never came to arrest anyone. I told them to report to the station to support police efforts. Little did I know this would be the worst decision I would ever make.

“On arrival at the station, my farm manager gave a statement and the police asked him to come back the next day with all members of the security team.

“To our surprise, our security men were detained upon arrival the next day and subsequently asked to make statement. The farm manager was asked to leave the questioning room by one Ahmed Abdullahi, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) who was questioning my men and also writing the statement for them.

“He wrote that they said we gave them guns to secure the farm as against sticks which they told him. This was a red flag and I immediately asked my lawyers to come in. Those detained that day are Olaitan Oluwaseun, Jimoh Ibrahim, Wasiu Adeshina, Shola Adeleke and Hakeem Elegbede.”

He said all the complainants brought to identify those responsible for the alleged murder could not identify any of his workers, yet, the Ayetoro Police Division said they would transfer the case to the homicide unit, SCID Eleweren.

He added that “our men were taken to Abeokuta for possible further investigation and on arrival were about to be released when the IPO Ahmed Abdullahi, a Fulani man, insisted they must not be granted bail. Rather he claimed they must be tortured to confess to an offence they knew nothing about.

“These are men who resumed job a week earlier on May 16. Before the arrival of these team, we had lost crops worth other N50million to cow destruction and grazing. Isn’t it obvious that this hurriedly cooked up story was because they knew they could not further destroy our investments hence the need to blackmail us and force us out of our business?

“To my surprise, on May 28, I got a distress call that one of our security men Shola Adeleke had died in police custody in circumstances the police could not explain.

“Upon his death, the police hurriedly released three members of our security team. My question is if truly there was ever a murder charge, why would the police release the suspects same day one of them died? It is obvious they feel guilty and already knew they have bitten more than they can chew.

“The world should however know today that ever since we established our 5,000 acres farm in the community, the herders have always confronted us and at various times promised to attack us for daring to set up such massive farm which they believe makes it impossible for their cows to graze.

“Often times, the Seriki Fulani of Kara has always bragged that they would have attacked us if not because we have Fulani men amongst our staff.
The game plan has always been the same script- get the farmer arrested under the accusations of murder, get the farmer locked up and detained for months by which time the farmers crops would have been destroyed and nothing to come back to. This pattern has happened not once or twice in the area.

“We have demanded from the police to produce the corpse found around the farm and till date nothing has been produced as they claimed the dead has been buried. How do you bury evidence in a murder case and claim to be investigating?

“The world needs to know today the level of conspiracy is unimaginable. This has become the modus operandi and script always being played out by the police and this marauders. Example of such was the arrest of Mr. Akanbi A.K.A rewire…he was locked him up for more than six months on trumped up charges which ultimately led to his sad death two months after leaving police custody due to possibly psychological effects of his detention and mounting debts occasioned by the destruction of his farm and livelihood while he was in detention.

“I will also love to say this loud and clear that should anything happen to myself or my team on the farm, the Seriki Fulani (Jagodo), the DPO Mr Olusesi, the IPO Ahmed Abdulahi should all be held responsible. Information reaching me is that the herders have placed a bounty on my life and that of my farm leadership and as such I can no longer visit the farm.

“Due to loss of confidence in the credibility of the police to be fair and just, my workers have been abandoning the farm further exposing our investment to more damage and destruction.

” There is a grand conspiracy to either lock us up or blackmail us so their cows can have a field day.

“To heighten our suspicion, the police upon visiting the farm to show us the location where they claimed to have found this so called corpse could only ask and I quote “how could you have such a big farm here and the police isn’t aware?”

“My question is when does it become a crime to have a big farm and when has the police become a regulatory agency for farmers? To make matters worse, information getting to me this morning is that the Seriki Fulani of Kara has informed some of our agents who recruited staff for us to ask their staff to vacate the farm as they are planning something big.

“As law abiding citizens we shall use every legal means available to us to fight this injustice. Shola Adeleke and many others before him will not die in vain. Shola only came to earn a living, he has a wife and family and also parents who are hoping for his return while he lies cold in the mortuary.”

Reacting to the claims, spokesman for the command, Abimbola Oyeyemi said the deceased was fingered by the complainants as one of those who took the man whose corpse was later found.

He said that the unnamed man was on a motorcycle with seven others when workers at the farmland chased them and took him.

“They were eight on motorcycles. Those farm workers chased and took the man only for his corpse to be found three days later. Five of them were arrested, Adeleke and the other suspect still in our customs were identified by the complainants as those who partook in taking the deceased man.

“We released the other three because they were not involved. It is mischievous for anyone to say that Adeleke was tortured to death. He was never touched. They were brought from Ayetoro Division and he suddenly became sick. He was taken to the hospital where he died.

“The other suspect in our custody has even mentioned the names of five others who partook in the crime. We are going after those five.

” Adeleke and the suspect in custody actively took part in taking the man whose corpse was found three days later. It is a mischievous and malicious statement from those making the allegation.

“We are not aware of any threats to the lives of the farm owners. They should do well to report same to enable the police investigate.”