Ekiti Govt Announces Death Of Lawmaker Detained By Dss

BEVERLY HILLS, March 17, (THEWILL) – The Ekiti State government has claimed that one of the members of the state House of Assembly among those arrested and detained by the Department of State Services, DSS, Hon. Afolabi Akanni, has died in the custody of the secret police.

It would be recalled that DSS operatives purportedly invaded the state House of Assembly about a fortnight ago and arrested four lawmakers — Mr. Afolabi Akanni, Musa Arogundade, Badejo Anifowose and Sina Animasaun – representing Efon, Ado 1, Moba 2 and Ekiti West 2 State Constituencies respectively.

Announcing the death at an emergency press conference called in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, on Thursday the Commissioner of Information, Youths, Sports and Culture, Mr Lanre Ogunsuyi insisted that the lawmaker representing Efon constituency developed an ailment midnight of Thursday and died at dawn.

According to him, “Information reaching us indicates that one of the abducted members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Honourable Afolabi Akanni, has died in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

“Significantly, since his illegal detention, he has been held incommunicado without access to his family members, doctors and lawyers.

“We call on the DSS to immediately clarify the situation as to the status (dead or alive) of Hon. Afolabi Akanni, representing Efon Constituency, by producing him physically for all Nigerians, particularly his immediate family to see.

“While we are waiting for the DSS, we urge every resident of Ekiti State, particularly the people of his immediate constituency in Efon, to remain calm.”

Others that addressed the conference include: the Speaker of the assembly, Hon Kola Oluwawole, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ajayi Owoseeni, Special Assistant on Communications to the governor, Lere Olayinka and Akanni's lawyer, Barr Obafemi Adewale.