The Ogun State Police Command has said that the death of Divisional Police Officer attached to Ibara Divison, Segun Dada, has nothing to do with the arrest of a masquerade in the state.
In a statement by the State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, on Sunday, the masquerade was arrested for violating social distancing order by government, due to the spread of Coronavirus in the state.
Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, explained that the late DPO had been lying critically ill on a hospital bed, well over a month, before the masquerade was arrested by men of Ibara Police Division.
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The statement reads: “The attention of Ogun state police command has been drawn to a mischievous information circulating on social media attributing the untimely death of one of the finest, humble and dedicated officers of the command, to the recent arrest of a recalcitrant masquerade, who violated the social distancing directives of the Federal and state governments.
“The command wouldn’t have joined issue with those circulating the fake news, but the wrong and mischievous impression needs to be clarified.
“The late DPO has been on sick bed for the past one month now, battling with an ailment which later resulted to his untimely death. Contrary to what the mischief-maker wanted the public to believe, the late DPO was not on duty when the said masquerade was arrested because he was in the hospital.
“The masquerade was arrested on Sunday 29th of March 2020, for violating the government directives while the DPO was on sick bed at Federal Medical Center Idi Aba Abeokuta, until he breathed his last, he was not even aware of the said masquerade arrest.
“It will be ignorant of anyone to attribute his death to the arrest of the recalcitrant masquerade just to attract traffic to his or her blog.
“Anybody who may have had reason to meet the late DPO when he was alive will attest to his humble and polite nature. He was an embodiment of what a gentleman officer should be and the Nigeria police force, Ogun state police command, in particular, will forever miss him.
“To those circulating the unfunded rumour, your mischievous information will not deter us from carrying out our constitutional duty no matter who is involved.
“If Pastors and Imams can be arrested for violating the government directives, no masquerade should think of been above the law.”