Tragedy struck the Oke Kura Correctional Facility in Ilorin, Kwara State, as a 63-year-old land agent, Alhaji Taye Hussein Abubakar, passed away on Friday morning. He was said to have been detained for over four months.
Abubakar’s detention stemmed from legal disputes arising from his involvement in land deals, leaving a community in mourning and raising questions about the circumstances surrounding his demise.
Contrary to widespread rumours suggesting otherwise, Phillip Adegbulugbe, the Public Relations Officer for the correctional facility, clarified that the deceased passed away in a hospital, not within the confines of the prison.
Meanwhile, on Saturday morning The Head of Corporate Affairs at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Mrs Elizabeth Ajiboye was contacted who denied having any knowledge about the incident.
A relative of the deceased, speaking to journalists, levied accusations of neglect against both the judiciary and the authorities of the correctional facility.
“He was involved in land deals that resulted in court matters. The court released him on bail but he could not appear in court on the day when he was to attend court because he was sick.
“So he was picked up and detained since then, about four or five months ago. He has not been brought to court since then but has been abandoned.
“At least he should have been given a second chance. How could he have gotten money to repay those involved in the land deals if he was kept in prison? The judge was approached and begged to release him on bail with some sureties to stand for him, but all to no avail.
“So, on Friday, we learnt he was rushed to the hospital. Some said he died on the way to the hospital, while others said that he died while receiving treatment.
“His health condition was not fine before his death, and the judge knew about it,” the relative whose name was not revealed said.
Responding to the incident, Adegbulugbe confirmed the demise of the land agent.
Adegbulugbe attributed his passing to complications from a kidney-related illness while receiving treatment at a hospital.
“He was taken to the General Hospital in Ilorin, where he died. I saw his hospital file stating the illness.
“The deceased was taken to the hospital on Thursday evening and reportedly died at about 8 am today, Friday.
“He didn’t die in the facility, as some people were saying. I was just coming back from the hospital,” he stated.
When asked via a phone call, the hospital PRO stated that she did not know any inmate from the Correctional Facility being admitted to the hospital, let alone of any death occurring.
Ajiboye said, “I am not aware that the Federal Correctional facility brought any patient to our hospital talk less of being dead. So, I don’t know anything about it.”
