As controversy continued to trail the sudden death of Sapele born former director of the Delta state Direct Labour Agency (DLA), and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Parry (PDP), Mr. Lucky Ayomanor, sources have accused and blamed the policemen attached to the Sapele police station, Sapele local government area of the state for cutting short the life of the politician.
HardReporters gathered that, the deceased who was driving in an Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) on a visit to his elder brother house was stopped and searched by the police along the popular Gana area of Sapele where a fully loaded pump action was allegedly found in his car and he could not provide any document to show the gun was licensed.
Impeccable sources in Sapele who spoke in confidence with our correspondent disclosed that Ayomanor who could not produce any prove covering the recovered gun was allegedly manhandled and beaten mercilessly by the police and at this point he slumped and died resulting from the beating.
Another story has it that Ayomanor who could not produce any document to show the legality of the gun fainted when the police was taking him to the station and on seeing his condition, the police made a change of mind and face the hospital but died before any help could help.
A reliable source, told our correspondent that “Chief Ayomanor humbly obeyed the policemen and while he was waiting, one of the officers brought a rifle saying that it was discovered inside his car and swiftly denied the ownership of the gun, at this junction, the policemen started pouncing on him and taken to the Sapele Station where they continue with the beating. Some of policemen used their guns to hit him.
“As Ayomanor was on the floor groaning in pains, the policemen abandoned him until it was done on them the politician was dying and before they could rush him to the Central Hospital in Sapele, he was already dead”, our source narrated.
Reacting to the allegation, Ayomanor family described it as lies from the pit of hell fabricated by the police. Speaking on behalf of the family, a brother to the deceased, Mr. Michael Okor, who confirmed the incident noted that “The allegation was all lies, not true, you know the police like fabricating stories. Chief Ayomanor is a very peace loving man. What would he need a gun for? We will talk after the autopsy”, he said.
Meanwhile, as at the time of this report tension is said to be gathering momentum as angry youths and supporters of the deceased have vowed to avenge the death of Ayomanor.
When contacted, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Andrew Aniamaka, quickly denied the claims that the deceased died in police custody stressing that he died at the hospital after he was arrested with a pump action gun.
“He didn’t die in my people’s custody. It is important that you get the story right. He was going in his car when the officers at Gana area of Sapele intercepted him and of course conducted search on him and they found a pump action gun loaded with cartridges. Under that circumstance, we have a right to ask questions. You do not just carry gun about especially in this ‘beautiful time’ and he was taken to the station.
“We cannot say it was out of fright or whatever may be the reason. He slumped. When you have somebody fainting before you what do you do? You rush him to hospital immediately, and that is exactly what the officer did. He was taken to General Hospital Sapele and later in the hospital he died. As we speak, we have lost a human being. No matter what, we feel pained. We have already started our investigation into the matter but to say he died in our custody is a fallacy” the PPRO said.
