Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday ordered an investigation into the death of Jumoke Oyeleke, a 24-year-old allegedly killed by a police stray bullet during the Yoruba nation rally in Lagos on Saturday.
Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Lagos.
He said, “government’s attention has been drawn to the death of a girl in Ojota during the Oodua Republic Mega Rally on Saturday, 3rd of July, 2021.
“We commiserate with the family of the deceased. The Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered a thorough investigation of the death. A Coroner’s Inquest has immediately been requested, in line with section 14 and 15 of the Coroners’ Systems Law, Laws of Lagos State 2015, to determine the cause and circumstances of death.
“By Section 14 (1)(d) of the Coroners’ System Law of the State: “A report of death shall be made to any of the agencies for the report of death or the office of the Coroner and be subject to post-mortem examination where there is reasonable cause to believe that the cause of death was: violent, unnatural or suspicious.”
“Section 15(1) and (9) further enjoins the Coroner to hold an inquest whenever he or she is informed that the death of the deceased person was in a violent, unnatural or suspicious situation or believes an inquest is desirable following the report of a reportable death.”
He added,“the state assures the public that everything will be done to ensure that the cause of death is known. The findings of this investigation will be made public in due course and appropriate sanctions meted out to anyone found culpable.”
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has paraded 49 suspects who allegedly participated in the protest, including an Ogboni chieftain, Tajudeen Bakare, and a lawyer, Olanrewaju Agbeniyi.
While briefing the press at the command headquarters in Ikeja on Sunday, the police boss said “unfavorable intelligence” prompted the state government and the police to kick against the protest.
He noted that Lagos had yet to recover from the destruction that accompanied #EndSARS demonstrations in the state, adding that the Yoruba Nation rally was aborted due to security threats.