BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A witness, Wasiu Adeniji, has explained to an Osun State Coroner’s Inquest investigating circumstances surrounding the death of a Police Corporal, Rauf Fawale, that some operatives of the Department of State Security in the state attacked Fawale on the midnight of January 14, 2021.
Adeniji, the owner of Riverside Lounge & Bar, Osogbo, where the three DSS operatives and Fawale had visited to have fun, said he was informed that one DSS operative, David Olowoporoku and two of his colleagues beat Fawale to the point that he sustained injury on his head, an incident that later led to his death.
When sitting resumed at the Coroner head by Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara, Adeniji said that when the victim was taken to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Olowoporoku was already drunk adding that the plain police officer did not deny attacking Fawale.
He said a Police officer, Inspector Medinat Badmus, who arrested Olowoporoku at the scene of the incident, informed him and others present including Olowoporoku and another DSS operative, Femi Adewara, that Fawale was brutalised by Olowoporoku and two of his colleagues around the bar.
According to the witness, “around 1 to 2 am while I was sleeping, I received a call from one Mr. Adisa that something was happening at Riverside. I called my manager and he said one of our customers, Mr. Fawale was attacked about 80 metres away from the bar. I went there with my wife. I met Inspector Medinat, Mr. Adisa and Olowoporoku and my manager and two other okada guys. I entered the emergency room and I met Mr. Fawale on the bed.
“I saw Medinat calling Mr. Femi Adewara on the phone that one of his officers wounded somebody and he arrested Olowoporoku. Inspector Medinat gave an account of how three DSS officers attacked Mr. Fawale and that two of them ram away but she only nabbed Olowoporoku. Olowoporoku was already drunk at that time. After much deliberation, they said what do we want? I said that’s left between DSS and Police.
“I noticed that it was my manager that was paying for Fawale’s treatment and I now told them that since Olowoporoku is not denying that something had happened and since it was my manager that was paying, I will ask that my money be paid back to me since the incident didn’t happen at the bar. That was when Mr. Adewara now put a call to Ibrahim and Mustapha (DSS officers) that they need to reimburse Olowoporoku. I think they reimbursed him because later, they transferred the sum of N30, 000 to my manager.”
Meanwhile, Chief Magistrate Ayilara adjourned the matter till Wednesday for continuation of hearing.
