The lady famous how she and her husband, Joseph, have been bodily assaulted and detained through the police after killing their son.
A sixty two-12 months-vintage woman, Mrs Florence Fasere, who happens to be the mom of Seyi Fasere, a very last-12 months student of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, who turned into shot dead by way of the police in Ilupeju Ekiti has informed her police harassment tale. She tells OLUFEMI OLANIYI how she and her husband, Joseph, had been physically assaulted and detained via the police after killing their son
What do you do?
I turned into a dealer but I have not been able to work for the reason that police killed my son, my first child. Seyi turned into shot useless by a policeman, popularly referred to as Akobi Esu (Devil’s firstborn).
Why turned into he killed?
They stated he became an armed robber however my son changed into not an armed robber. They just wasted his existence and the killers are on foot freely as though they've not devoted any offence.
Where and whilst did it occur?
It passed off in March 2013. He became killed at a police station at Obalasan in Ilupeju Ekiti. It may be very close to Oye Ekiti.
How did it manifest?
My son, Seyi, turned into a final-12 months pupil at the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti whilst the incident occurred. He was taking his very last examination and had one greater examination to take. He had not fully paid his training; he nevertheless had N100,000 to pay and he stated the school control become threatening that he might no longer be allowed to sit the last exam if he did not pay. He got here back home to Ilupeju Ekiti and we were able to improve the money and provide to him. I think he had an examination to take day after today.
He went to a barbershop to have a haircut and sent a neighbour to inform me that his more youthful brother ought to convey his bag to him at the bus stop – Esinkun. But I informed his brother that he couldn't just go away with out returning home to bathe and wash off the hair and more importantly, pray earlier than embarking on the journey. I by no means knew I could no longer see him alive again. He left around 5:30pm; that turned into the closing time I saw him.
His brother took his bag to him at the bus forestall and I changed into later told that he saw a woman he knew inside the bus going to Ado Ekiti and he or she requested him to enroll in however he said he could look forward to a car. But the female, who's a septuagenarian, Madam Victoria, informed us later that he persuaded him to board the bus because she was also going to Ado Ekiti to visit her youngsters. That turned into how he boarded the bus and they embarked on the adventure. Just 3 of them were in the bus. When they were given to Obalasan, they heard that armed robbers were attacking a financial institution ahead of them and the driver turned into stated to have requested the vintage female if she knew a shortcut so that they might no longer run into the robbery scene. They said she gave the motive force the course of any other path. The driving force became new on that road so he changed into said to have asked to be directed. At that time, we commenced hearing gunshots in Ilupeju as it isn't always very a long way from us. I turned into worried and I ran to Esinkun wherein he boarded the bus but I was advised that he had left. Later, the driving force parked the bus and they hid someplace so they may wait until the capturing might prevent. The woman stated she asked Seyi to head and produce their luggage due to the fact the driver had dropped their baggage and became lower back.
Was he shot at the same time as sporting the bags or what?
I heard that the policemen combing anywhere to look if they could arrest a number of the robbers noticed him when he turned into taking the luggage. They arrested him and took him to the station. The girl did now not see Seyi once more. She back to Ilupeju because that is where she lives; the girl is resident here. She got here to invite if Seyi had come lower back domestic due to the fact she stated they had to abandon the journey because of the theft incident. I advised her that I had now not seen him. We commenced searching everywhere for him however we did no longer pay attention that he become arrested and brought to the station that night.
How did you sooner or later recognize he become killed at the station?
We heard the subsequent morning that someone turned into killed and I known as his dad who changed into in Ado-Ekiti to recognise if he had visible Seyi but he stated no. I told him approximately what took place. The following morning, one of my more youthful brothers referred to as me and told me that they had killed Seyi at the station. I left and his dad also got here from Ado-Ekiti and collectively with Blessing, his more youthful brother, we left for the police station.
What came about on the police station?
Immediately we got there, the policemen there grabbed me and beat me ruthlessly. They slapped me about 20 instances and kicked me numerous times; they eliminated my slippers and used them to hit my head. Despite what took place, they beat me, humiliated me and put me behind the counter. I became just weeping and crying to God that why might this horrible element appear to me.
My husband too became no longer spared, they slapped him so regularly. They eliminated his shoes and used them to hit his head. They brutalised us and my husband turned into put in a mobile at the police station and now not behind the counter. I fell down there and to compound my sorrow, they delivered my son’s corpse and placed it earlier than me and requested me to be searching at my son. There isn't any anguish that can be worse than that for a mother. I wept bitterly.
Why did they beat you and your husband?
They said Seyi became an armed robber. They said we did now not deliver him up nicely and that was why he became an armed robber. But I changed into weeping and telling them that my son became now not a thief and on every occasion I said that, certainly one of them would slap me.
Did you observe something approximately his corpse?
They had eliminated his shirt and tied his palms at the back of his back. His trousers have been worn internal out. That confirmed it that he was arrested earlier than he became killed and he turned into not killed even as capturing at them as they claimed. Will an armed robber tie his two fingers behind his returned and be shooting? Even if I did not cross to high school, I know that isn't always logical however they wasted my son’s existence, humiliated me, and labelled my son an armed robber. It is handiest God that can do away with that sorrow from my coronary heart. They offended Seyi’s author, who is God almighty and I understand He will combat for us.
Was any of the armed robbers that virtually attacked the financial institution arrested?
They killed him round 4am and put his corpse earlier than me from 7am until the time they noticed one of the armed robbers who participated inside the theft. I assume the armed robber turned into shot at some point of a gun warfare between them and the police. He changed into wounded and changed into in ache. He changed into observed the subsequent morning and residents drew the eye of the police to him and that they picked him up. He changed into begging them to take him to clinic to be handled. He didn’t want to die. He became one of the armed robbers. I heard him say he handiest disbursed weapons to the robbers but not a marksman. He said all of them got here from Kogi State and that he's Ebira.
The policemen asked the arrested armed robber if Seyi become certainly one of them and he said he become not a member of their gang. He said six of them got here from Kogi State for the operation.
That turned into once they asked us to move domestic. Seyi’s brother, Blessing, become additionally thoroughly overwhelmed and he become handcuffed and locked up. At a factor, they took him in handcuffs to our house to look everywhere. But what could they discover inside the house of a terrible person? They determined not anything. They tarnished our picture due to the fact a few people saw how Blessing was handcuffed and caused the residence with the aid of the police. They heard that the police killed Seyi so that they could finish that my children had been armed robbers but God sees the entirety and I need Him to combat for me.
They in the end launched us and asked us to head domestic when they knew Seyi turned into harmless however they did no longer admit that they have been incorrect. The three people have been placed on a motorbike and requested to be taken domestic to mourn our son.
Did they launch the corpse to you for burial?
They later took his corpse to the mortuary on the Federal Medical Centre, Ido Ekiti. His arms had been tied behind his back the manner he turned into killed. We went there a number of instances however I became tired at a factor. We have been requested to move and get his remains from the mortuary after almost three years after the incident. I introduced him home and buried him but due to the fact that then, I actually have now not been k. The sorrow caused high blood pressure and after the thrashing, I know that I actually have now not been very well but there's nothing I can do approximately it.
Is the policeman who you said shot Seyi nonetheless in Ilupeju?
They transferred all of them out of the place because there had been a series of protests held at the time by means of students. The National Association of Nigerian Students, EKSU college students, and teenagers in Ilupeju had been always protesting then because they knew that Seyi changed into not a thief let alone an armed robber.
A safety man at a school near the location in which the incident befell later got here and advised us that he saw Seyi at the police station and that Seyi begged him to tell us that he have been arrested. But the man said he did now not realize Seyi. He said Seyi spoke back all the questions the policemen requested him whilst he become there at the station and that straight away after he left the police station, he heard a gunshot and knew that they had killed him.
His call is Ojo. He lives in Ilupeju right here. The guy stated Seyi begged them no longer to kill him. He stated he advised them that he became not a thief however they did now not listen. The man stated a prime informed the police to kill Seyi. The man said the chief stated Seyi’s dad and mom refused to permit him (Seyi) to be set up as a chief.
Was Seyi entitled to become a major or what?
They wanted to give him a chieftaincy identify which never existed in his father’s lineage. The so-known as name has to do with idol worshipping and we stated no. They wanted to apply that to spoil our Christian religion but we rejected it. We said our son became still in faculty and was now not inquisitive about this kind of chieftaincy identify.
Which church do you attend?
We all attend Deeper Christian Life Ministry. Seyi turned into a youngsters’s instructor in church till his loss of life. Even after church service, he could acquire youngsters together in our place and train them the word of God.
When we heard it turned into a person who instructed the police to shoot Seyi, my younger brother went to the Palace of Apeju of Ilupeju and he said he overheard a person telling someone at the cellphone that they should no longer have killed him. The problem have become very severe then.
I suffered plenty and I was cautioned to look the previous state governor, Ayo Fayose, approximately it. But when I were given there, they said he had just left his workplace. But he turned into no longer the governor then. Somebody called him on the telephone and he stated that I need to inform journalists in Ado-Ekiti about it; that become while the police realised that the problem had grow to be serious. But notwithstanding that, they did now not do something.
Was the case taken to court or how did it end?
I was asked to get a lawyer and I did. I went to court some of times and the court asked the policemen to additionally seem. But you know the way court instances go; I have become tired of the complete method and refused to visit court docket once more. They killed my son and I changed into nevertheless going to courtroom whenever and wasting money and time.
Why didn’t you tell Governor Kayode Fayemi, who changed into the governor at that time?
The governor heard about the case and informed the Secretary to the State Government, Ganiyu Owolabi, who's additionally from Ilupeju Ekiti, to address the issue. I became told the governor said the SSG have to not be within the office at the same time as there has been a critical crisis in his homeland.
Did the SSG come?
He got here to the palace and we had been invited however I left there in anger.
Why?
He asked what we desired them to do. But as it turned into nevertheless fresh then, I said in the event that they gave me cash, could I no longer spend it? What can anybody give me to replace the lifestyles of my son? I left the meeting in anger. Government’s agent killed my son and that they did no longer do whatever about it. How a great deal can anyone supply me?
What do you want to be finished to folks that killed Seyi?
I can't choose however I want God to choose his killers. He become my first baby and that they just killed him like that. That sad incident destroyed the whole lot approximately my existence. I can no longer trade and I handiest consume whilst human beings deliver me cash. I don’t have the energy to work once more and I still feel a number of ache. It is God which can get rid of the sour enjoy from my coronary heart.
Will you testify earlier than the Panel of Enquiry set up via the state authorities to get justice for victims of police brutality?
I will testify if they name me. I will inform them how I changed into stripped naked via my son’s death.
What is your view approximately the #EndSARS protests everywhere in the u . S .?
They had been considered one of God’s judgments in opposition to the police. They killed many those who did not devote any offence. Do you believe you studied God will applaud them for taking harmless lives? I recall the protests as God’s judgment towards their evil acts.
Did any of your kids join any of the #EndSARS protests?
They are all in Ado-Ekiti; I am the only one at Ilupeju. Three of them have graduated from university and don't have anything to do. So, I asked them to research capabilities that will assist them. One is an apprentice photographer; one is an apprentice mechanic at the same time as one is an apprentice tailor. The remaining one is on the technical college in Ado-Ekiti. My husband is likewise in Ado-Ekiti; he is a security defend, accumulating N10,000 according to month.
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