Ekiti State government has claimed that a member of the state’s House of Assembly, Honourable Afolabi Akanni, has died in the detention of the Directorate of State Services (DSS).
Commissioner for Information, Youth Sports and Culture, Lanre Ogunsuyi, stated this at a press conference on Thursday, stating that, “our contacts in the DSS told us that he is dead.”
Ogunsuyi noted that Akanni was arrested on March 4 and has not been allowed to communicate with anyone. “We were told that he developed an ailment last night and he died by morning. The DSS had denied him access to his family, his doctor or to anyone that knows 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),” a statement by Ogunsuyi read.
“Significantly, since his illegal detention, he has been held incommunicado without access to his family members, doctors and lawyers.
The Commissioner who was not sure if the information he received was correct urged the DSS to allow them access to the lawmaker. ”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.”