REPORT OF INTERVENTION AT THE MORGUE ON FRIDAY 20 AUGUST 2021 OVER OMOMEWA’S MURDER BY SOWETO.

REPORT OF INTERVENTION AT THE MORGUE ON FRIDAY 20 AUGUST 2021 OVER OMOMEWA’S MURDER BY SOWETO.

Good evening comrades, collaborators and friends. Sorry for the late update. This is due to the pressure since Wednesday 18 when the Lagos State Coordinator of the ERC, Comrade Nurudeen Alowonle Omomewa was murdered. The purpose of this message is to update all of us about the developments at the Morgue of the Mainland Hospital, Yaba Lagos. Many of you would have been surprised that contrary to initial reports that late Omomewa would be buried on Friday, he eventually was not buried. Here is the summary of developments which led to this outcome:

I got to the Morgue of Mainland Hospital Yaba in the morning of Friday 20th August. I met Comrade Barrister Optimist in the presence of some doctors and other well wishers. Shortly after I came, we were shown what was said to be the remain of our dear Comrade Omomewa. It was nothing more than a mass of entrails which was highly decomposed and put together in a body bag. The Morgue claimed that those who brought the “body” – the Lagos State environmental agency (SEHMO) – claimed that vehicles had gone over the “body” between the period of 10pm Wednesday night when he died and 5am Thursday morning it was brought to the Morgue.

Upon seeing the state of the alleged body, we had to protest saying that there was no means to identify the entrail as a human entrail let alone a human body. We said there was no way we could present this to the family as the “body” of their son. Our protest including the assistance of sympathetic student doctors who studied in LASU and the HOD Pathology, eventually led to the revelation by the Morgue attendant that they made a mistake and presented to us a wrong body.

They eventually brought for us another body which was clearly and obviously that of comrade Omomewa. This body had a hole by the side just under the rib cage on the left hand side of the chest.

With this development, the tension which had built up calmed a bit. By this time, some representatives of the family were already around at the Morgue. We then initiated discussion with then about what needs to be done. Our first proposal was that an autopsy be conducted. However by the time we began making enquires about how long this would take, we were informed that it might take at least a week due to the ongoing doctors strike. This made the family to insist that the body be buried the very day. Those of us pushing for autopsy had no choice but to submit to the desire of the family. The family also gave us the right to choose any befitting burial place for him.

In view of this, we began to inquire about what it would take to bury him. We eventually settled for Atan cemetary Yaba and we got a budget of N125, 000 being cost of buying a strip of land for burial, digging, preparing of the burial place including marble as well as cost of pall bearers and conveyance of the body from the Morgue. Within the space of 1hour, we were able to raise this sum from family, comrades, friends, DSM and members of ASUU and other unions. We thank all those who made a contribution.

Also the family had procured the clothe for the body while also documentations for the body’s release were being prepared. One of the documents needed was a release letter from the police. We decided to ask some comrades in LASU to proceed to the Adoff Police station in Iba to obtain this documentation.

By the time they came with the documents, the DPO of Adoff police station, a woman police, was in their tow. According to her, Omomewa was her son and she felt the need to be their personally to secure the release of his body. However it was her presence, suspicious utterances and that of her men that eventually changed the situation and led to the non-release of the body.

For instance, while discussing with the DPO, a few questions became apparent. One, the police claimed a patrol found the body around 10pm. This patrol decided to call the Lagos State environmental agency to pick this body for disposal. The agency did not show up until 5am the next morning. During this time, there was no record that the police offered any first aid assistance to Omomewa or even tried to take him to the hospital to see if he could be revived. As we all know, only a qualified medical personnel, and not the police, can declare a body dead or lifeless.

Secondly, the DPO claimed that the police patrol was around the vicinity where the attack and killing took place so they ought to have heard gunshot if truly Omomewa and Majek were shot. According to the police, they were not shot but stabbed. However, when the mortuary attendants who prepared Omomewa’s body and sutured his wound were interviewed, they claimed that the wound they observed on the body could only be caused by gunshot. This also coincided with the testimony of the lone survivor, Majek, who said they were shot.

Not so much after this, we realised that all the claims by the police about what happened were not an outcome of investigation but rather simply ill informed conjectures and lies. For instance, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) who prepared the police extract for the body’s release revealed that he had not for once sighted the body for which he prepared a report neither had he or any officer from Adoff Police station visited the scene of crime or conducted any interview of potential witnesses. So in short, more than 24 hours after the killing, the police had not started any investigation. Meanwhile the police was anxious and doing everything to ensure the body was released and buried that very day.

The last straw that would break the camels back was the request of the DPO that the family must swear an affidavit that they would not demand an autopsy as a precondition for release of the body. Ofcourse, this request raised suspicion as to the motive of the Police. It appeared to us that the police just wanted the body to be buried so that the truth of what happened can be buried with it. This situation led to anger and raised tension.

But while this controversy was going on, a directive came from the Chief Pathologist of Lagos STATE, Prof Obafunwa, to the mortuary asking that the body should not be released until an autopsy is conducted. Ofcourse, with this new development, both the family and the police had no choice but to submit. So eventually the burial had to be suspended.

Given all of these developments, we are now left with the option of pursuing a legal and political campaign for justice for Omomewa. This provides opportunity to be able to force out the truth of what actually transpired and the motives for his murder. We will continue to publish updates of developments around this case as well as informations of every steps we are taking. By tomorrow, a plan of activities to begin the pursuit of justice will also be out.

We thank all those who have shown support and solidarity so far including those who helped settle the various expenses including the bill of N54k which the Morgue demanded for embalment and preparation of the body. We are so grateful.

We however will like to place very one on notice that we shall require more support in the coming weeks.

Thank you very much. Adieu Comrade Nurudeen Alowonle Omomewa.

Soweto for the ERC