Controversy trails community leader’s death in police custody in Delta

Controversy has trailed the alleged death of a prominent community leader, Chief Lucky Ayomanor, in the custody of the Nigerian Police in Sapele, Delta State, on Wednesday night.

Chief Ayomanor was said to be on a visit to his elder brother at about 9:00p.m in his vehicle to Gana area of Sapele when he was accosted by some policemen in a stop-and-search operation.

The police operatives were said to have found a fully- loaded revolver in his car during the stop-and-search operation.

He was subsequently detained at the police station in Sapele, only to be pronounced dead the following morning.

The police said he fainted in their custody and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died.

Reacting to the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Andrew Aniamaka, said: “Police found a fully-loaded pump-action gun in the deceased’s car, and when they demanded the licence, he could not provide it.

The police then took him to the police station in Sapele where he fainted. He was then rushed to hospital where he died.”

But family members of the deceased disagreed with the police’s story.

A brother of the deceased, Chief Michael Okor, while speaking to journalists, said “that was not true, you know the police like fabricating stories.

“Chief Ayomanor was a peace-loving man. What would he need a gun for?”

Chief Okor, however, said that the family was waiting for the autopsy, adding: “We will talk after the autopsy.”

Chief Ayomanor, the deceased, was reported to have recently defected from the All Progressives Party (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Meanwhile, tension is said to be mounting in Sapele over the alleged extrajudicial killing of the community leader as some youths loyal to him were threatening to cause mayhem.

As of the time of filing this report, reports said security operatives were keeping surveillance on the ancient town in their numbers to forestall a breakdown of law and order.