Lagos state DSS allegedly tortured man to death and asks his family to leave the matter to God?

The family members of 39-year-old Damilare Eyitayo, have accused the Lagos State Command of the Department of State Services of torturing their son to death.



This is just as the DSS claimed that the suspect died after jumping out of the van when he was arrested and was being taken away, during which he injured himself. The DSS added that the deceased was given the best of medical treatment, but he later died.



PUNCH Metro gathered that Eyitayo, who hailed from Oyo State and lived in the Iyana Ipaja area, was arrested on April 4, 2016, by the DSS operatives during an investigation into a syndicate that specialised in cloning the phone numbers of government functionaries.

Our correspondent learnt that at about 2am, the DSS operatives, said to have been accompanied by policemen and soldiers, stormed Aje Street, Pleasure, in the Iyana Ipaja area, in search of one Rilwanu, a suspect.

It was learnt that Rilwanu had gone into hiding, but his wife, whose name had yet to be known, led the operatives to the house of his best friend (Eyitayo), after which the deceased was arrested.

The family claimed that Eyitayo was taken to the DSS office, where he was allegedly tortured until he collapsed, leading to his death.

It was learnt that on April 6, the landlord of Eyitayo’s house, identified simply as Pa Shobiyi, was invited to the DSS Lagos office in Shangisha and was informed that Eyitayo had died.

It was gathered that the family members were later invited on Saturday, April 23, and the news of Eyitayo’s death was broken to them.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro, Eyitayo’s elder brother, Oyetunji, said although Eyitayo was Rilwanu’s friend, his brother did not deserve to be tortured to death because he was not the one the DSS wanted.

Oyetunji added that the deceased was preparing to get married in December 2016.

He said, “We suspect foul play. The DSS did not inform the family until April 23. Why did they hide his death from us? Every time I went there, they said the official handling the matter was not around and I could not see Damilare (Eyitayo). His death is painful. He was set to marry in December 2016.

“He was not a member of any syndicate. He was a friend to Rilwanu, and the suspect had fled knowing what he did. Damilare’s offence was that he was a friend to a suspect. Now, the DSS is begging us to leave everything to God.”

The family lawyer, Babs Animashaun, told PUNCH Metro that the family had submitted a request for a coroner inquest to the Attorney General, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, to know the manner and the cause of Eyitayo’s death.