Wednesday, April 1, 2026 - A 52-year-old woman, identified as Titilayo, slumped and d!ed minutes after she was arraigned at the Federal High Court sitting in Benin City on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
The deceased was reportedly arrested by the Edo State Task
Force and subsequently handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency
for prosecution.
She was said to have been apprehended for allegedly selling
a substance suspected to be a hard drug.
Witnesses at the court blamed the NDLEA for alleged
negligence, claiming the woman appeared unwell when she was brought before the
court.
They alleged that despite her condition, she was still
presented for arraignment.
However, the Edo State Commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell
Ofoyeju, denied any wrongdoing or negligence on the part of his officers.
Ofoyeju said there was nothing to indicate that the deceased
was unfit to stand trial.
“It is not true what they are saying. She was arraigned in
court. There was no issue that she was not physically fit. She personally
walked to the car, got to the court and came down herself. What happened is not
something you can start trading blame,” he said.
“She was arrested by the Edo State Task Force and
transferred to the NDLEA. She was arrested for selling ‘Loud’, a slang term for
high-quality, pungent-smelling cannabis.
“What happened was a mistaken identity. When she collapsed,
it attracted a crowd and there were other suspects. The officers had to secure
other accused persons to avoid them dispersing with the crowd. The crowd
thought my men were running away. My men were not attacked.
“This is unfortunate. My condolences to the family. Our
desire is for any drug suspect or accused person to be well, healthy and
complete their trials.
“Honestly, we have no idea what k!lled her unless an autopsy
is conducted. She walked into the courtroom by herself."
0 Comments