The deceased officerAtobiloye, attached to the Oke Onigbin Division in Kwara State, was deployed to Kogi for special duty called Quick Intervention for a month.

However, a month after the resumption, the policeman with service number 232980 went absent without leave for two days but was later found.

It was gathered that as punishment for his absence without permission, Atobiloye was detained in a cell.

A source said the policeman languished in the cell for eight days, and consequently died in detention.

The source said; “What happened was that every month, the Zone 8 Command usually picks policemen from every division and posts them for special duty for a month in Zone 8 Command, Lokoja, and after one month, the policemen will return home.

“So, Atobiloye, who was attached to the Oke Onigbin Division, was part of the policemen posted to the Zone 8 Command, Lokoja, but when he resumed, he didn’t come for work for two days and was punished by being detained in a cell for about eight days.

“It was when policemen checked on him in the cell that they realised he had slumped and died in the cell. At the cell he was detained, only offending policemen are usually detained there, so it is likely he was alone in the cell.”

Spokesperson for the Zone 8 Command, Ruth Awi said that Atobiloye, after reporting for special duty at the command, absconded from duty and was nowhere to be found for two days until policemen found him drunk.

She said;“He was not detained at the Zonal Headquarters, he was detained at the D Division in Lokoja. He reported at the Zonal Headquarters and then disappeared into thin air; there are punishments for people who abscond from duty without any excuse. But in his case, he did not only stay away from work, he was drunk when he was found.