By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
Suleima Ibrahim Mafara.
The Ponyan Ward Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yagba East Local Government Area of kogi state, Bunmi David Ipinnaiye, did not die in the command’s custody but hospital.
The Commandant in charge of the Command, Suleima Ibrahim Mafara, disclosed this on Wednesday in Lokoja while refuting media reports indicating that the suspect died in the custody of the Command’s Office in Ponyan.
According to the Commandant, it was the wife of suspect who reported him to the office of the Commandant in Ponyan, that her husband was out to attack a boy who was chasing his daughter.
He said vbased on the wife’s report, operatives of command arrest the suspect for attempted murder and was found in possession of cutlass.
Marafa explained that while at the command’s counter, where he was about to be counselled by the operatives,the suspect requested for a bottle of water and one of the officers went for it.
He explained further:”In a bit to calm him down, he requested for a bottle of water and our officer went to bring the water.
“When our officer returned, he found the suspect breathing with difficulty and was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced death by the medical doctor in charge of the hospital.”
The Commandant said information at his disposal showed that the suspect was in “psychological distraught” and was going extra mile against the law of the land as at the time of his arrest.
He described the initial media reports as about Ipinnaiye’s death “upside-down”, and at variance with the true position of suspect’s death.
Marafa advised Journalists to always cross check information at their disposal about the command with the relevant authority before publication to ensure balanced story and attain justice in information dissemination to the society.
Marafa, however,commended Journalists in the state for their cooperation with him,a development he acknowledged, had assisted in no small measure toward the success of his assignment.
He called on them not to relent in such positive contribution for the effective realisation of the aims and objectives of the command to the people of the state.
