SCIID Panti Avoided Over Death Of Coronavirus Patient

MICHAEL AKINOLA 

Police officers, complainants and detainees at the State Criminal Investigation and Inteliigence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos, may be at high risk of contacting the Coronavirus disease following the death of a businessman, Godwin Chukwudi Julius, who was in custody for two weeks but later tested positive for Coronavirus disease.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that since the news of the result of the test conducted after his death in the Isolation Centre showed that he was positive, complainants, who had cases there, are avoiding going to SCIID to continue their cases. Some of those who were given invitation to come were said to have refused honouring insisting that the place was not safe, whereas the Police officers working and the detainees were not sure of their health status since Julius died due to complications.

The 48-year-old businessman was said to have been arrested and detained on May 22, 2020, following his alleged complicity in one Obinali Osuwoke’s fraud case involving the sum of N75 million. He was arrested by operatives of the Anti-Fraud Unit of SCIID along with his wife, Ogochukwu, who was later released in the evening of the same day. He however, died in Police custody on Saturday 6th June, 2020.

It was said that the Police ignored doctors’ advice that Julius, a hypertensive patient, should be granted bail when it became obvious that his health had deteriorated in custody.
It was also gathered that the deceased was improperly detained for about 15 days before he was released on the eve of his death on June 5.

Journalists, who scout for news at SCIID Panti, are said to be avoiding the place because nobody knows the actual number of those who had contact with Julius while he was detained there.
Some of the officers working there were said to have gone spiritual by embarking on prayers and fasting including taken local herbs to avert any danger of Coronavirus.

It was not certain if the Police authorities have taken any steps to sanitize the place but it was gathered that work has slowed down as one of the measures taken by CP was not to approve petition to decongest SCIID.