Interior Minister Ambrose Dery has refuted claims that 34-year-old Salahudeen Tafilu, who passed away in Dagombaline, was subjected to police brutality and killed by the police.
Relatives and friends of the deceased have leveled accusations against the police, alleging that Salahudeen was subjected to mistreatment, which ultimately resulted in his untimely death on Sunday, July 23, 2023.
The situation escalated when the police conducted a swoop in the Gooro community, leading to the arrest of numerous civilians, including Salahudeen.
Subsequently, after the police officers departed from the area, the lifeless body of Salahudeen was found, intensifying concerns and suspicions about the circumstances surrounding his demise.
But speaking on the floor of the House on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, in response to an invitation to address the matter, the Interior Minister, while recounting reports from the Police said: “The arresting officers allege that the deceased while running away hit himself against a wall and fell down.”
“Shortly after his arrest the deceased who was handcuffed together with other persons, exhibited some signs of sickness. As a result, the handcuffs were taken off him, and he was released by the police while the others were taken away to the Asawase police station. On the same day, one Alhaji Mohammed Salifu Ibrahim, father of the deceased reported to the Asawase Police Station that Salahudeen was one of the people arrested by the police during the operation and later released to go had been sent to Mahyia Government Hospital for medical attention but had been pronounced dead while being attended to by a medical officer,” he added.
According to the Interior Minister, his outfit is awaiting a report from the Police Professional Standard Bureau for further action.
An autopsy report, per reports from the media, says 34-year-old Salahudeen Tafilu died due to massive blood in his abdominal cavity.
The report also revealed that Salahudeen experienced a splenic rupture and blunt force trauma, which contributed to the tragic outcome.