Afolabi Akanni, the Ekiti State Assembly lawmaker whom the state government claimed this morning died in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), was produced to journalists by the service today.
An online medium, TheCable, has confirmed that he is alive, but weak, apparently from ill-health.
“TheCable saw a frail man at the DSS headquarters and asked him, ‘Are you Afolabi Akanni?'”
“He said: ‘Yes.'”
“Akanni was taking a nap at a desk in the Conference Room of the DSS. He could barely carry himself, and his eyes were red and shadowy,” TheCable reported.
Ekiti State government earlier announced that the state House of Assembly lawmaker died in DSS detention. The State Commissioner for Information, Youth Sports and Culture, Mr. Lanre Ogunsuyi, made the announcement at a press conference on Thursday.
The Commissioner said although DSS had held Akanni incommunicado since March 4, 2016, “our contacts in the DSS told us that he is dead.” According to Ogunsuyi, “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.”
The Commissioner for Information said they were however, waiting for the DSS to confirm or deny the death of Akanni or produce him for his people to see.” Ogunsuyi’s words: “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).
“Significantly, since his illegal detention, he has been held incommunicado without access to his family members, doctors and lawyers.
“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.”
It is unclear yet why Ekiti State government would lie about the death of the lawmaker.