- The death of Citizen Eyitayo in the hands of DSS operatives should be probed
How did 39-year-old Damilare Eyitayo die? His family members allege that he was tortured to death by officials of the Lagos Command of the Department of State Services (DSS). This is a grave accusation. The alleged use of torture makes a statement about the gravity of the tragedy. It is particularly tragic that Eyitayo died in the alleged circumstances because he was not even a direct suspect in the matter. It is a reflection of the foggy and suspicious circumstances of his death that it has become the subject of a request for a coroner’s inquest to the Attorney General, Lagos State Ministry of Justice.
The family lawyer, Babs Animashaun, said: “We were informed that the deceased was arrested because he was a friend to a suspect that the DSS was interested in arresting. We were also informed that it was the wife of the suspect, after she had been beaten by the gun-wielding officials that told them her husband was not around and led them to the house of the deceased.”
He continued: “When the DSS operatives got to the deceased’s house, he was thoroughly beaten before he was taken away. We were informed that the deceased died same day in the DSS custody. We hereby request that an inquest be conducted into the circumstances of the death of the deceased to ascertain the cause and manner of death.”
This request should be taken seriously. It is about the death of one man allegedly at the hands of state security agents. But perhaps more than this, it is about possible abuse of power that constitutes a death-threat to members of the public.
The other side of the story, by the Lagos State DSS Director, Kunle Ajanaku, is so distant from the family’s version that it should prompt the authorities to pursue the truth and establish what happened to Eyitayo and how he died. It is clear that the two accounts can’t both be true.
Ajanaku said: “It is regrettable that the man died. We do not engage in extrajudicial killing. When you talk of the best practices in terms of human rights and how we detain suspects, the DSS comes near first. This is a syndicate that has been able to clone the phone number of a governor. The state government submitted a petition that all the suspects involved should be arrested and prosecuted.”
He further said: “Some of the suspects were traced to the deceased’s house. It took surveillance and technicality for weeks to trace his place. Instead of him to cooperate with officials, he resisted and turned violent. When they managed to take him into the vehicle, he struggled and escaped from the van. He was pursued and in the process, he fell down twice. As a result of his violence, we handcuffed and chained him. When he was brought to our office here, we saw his condition and rushed him to the hospital. He died while in the hospital. We have sent the case file to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for advice. We are ready to listen to the family. An autopsy will be conducted; we do not have anything to hide.”
It is disturbing that this case again brings up a recurrent charge against the DSS. The agency’s image has been tainted by allegations that it employs extra-legal methods in carrying out its functions. It is a sad irony that an agency which should symbolise the supremacy of the law is linked with supreme lawlessness.
A proper and thorough investigation should be carried out as a matter of urgency to reassure the public that justice is non-negotiable. And justice should be done indeed.
