The family of late Mr. Temidayo Adekuoroye has filed a petition to the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, seeking a thorough investigation into the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death at Igbonla Community, Ajase Ipo, Irepodun Local Government Area, on July 16, 2024.

Mr. Adekuoroye, an employee of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), reportedly died under questionable circumstances during an operation conducted by IBEDC staff.

The petition, forwarded by the family’s solicitors, Olusoji Toki, Esq, was initiated by Mr. Adekuoroye’s father, Akinsanmi Adekuoroye, a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), following concerns over the lack of transparency surrounding his son’s death.

According to the family, the police have not received any official report of the incident from IBEDC, raising suspicions of foul play.
John Orelope, Officer in Charge of Igbonla at the Agbamu Police Station, informed the family that no investigation had been launched due to the absence of an official report.
The omission, coupled with IBEDC’s repeated insistence on the hasty burial of Mr. Adekuoroye, has deepened the family’s suspicions.

The petition also outlines a series of troubling facts, including that Mr. Adekuoroye had recently reported harassment at work.

Meanwhile, Igbonla had been without electricity for four months before the fatal operation, raising questions about why the power was restored during the operation.
IBEDC personnel failed to return Mr. Adekuoroye’s phone to his family, despite it being recovered at the scene.

Initial claims by IBEDC that Mr. Adekuoroye was on an unauthorized assignment were later contradicted by evidence.

The family alleges that IBEDC staff involved in the operation had concealed key details, including the identities of those present during the incident. They are now demanding that the police investigate the matter fully to uncover the truth behind Mr. Adekuoroye’s untimely death.

The statement read, “On the 16th July, 2024 at about 6pm, our client got an information from Mr. Omoniyi Rufus (through his brother, Omoniyi Kehinde), one of the friends of his late son who informed him that late Mr Temidayo Adekuoroye just passed on due to an accident.
“Our client, who recently lost his wife, was emotionally shattered to pieces due to the tragic news.
“However, with the bravery of a bereaved father, and the need to understand the cause of death, our client put a call back to the informant to get more detail about the death.

“While the informant was not forthcoming, our client reached out to some other friends of the deceased who informed him that his son died as a result of electrocution in the cause of his employment with the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).

It continues, “It is important to state that the late Mr Temidayo Adekuoroye was an employee of IBEDC and has been working with the Company for more than ten (10) years.”
“It is our brief that on the fateful day, the deceased went in a team of five (5) personnel from IBEDC Office at Ajase Ipo in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State to a town known as Igbonla via Ajase Ipo.

The assignment was to fix electricity challenge that had bedevilled Igbonla town for more than 4 months.
At the point of departure, it was learnt that the control room shut down electricity supply in order to successfully carry out the assignment.

In the course of discharging his official assignment, late Temidayo Adekuoroye was asked by the team to mount the electric pole after working on the challenged transformer.

While at the zenith of the pole, there occurred a sudden supply of electricity which led to immediate and sudden death of Temidayo Adekuoroye.

Meanwhile, the deceased remains were moved to Cottage Hospital, Ajase Ipo on the same day.
“On 18th July, 2024, a couple of personnel from IBEDC visited Akure, Ondo State where our client is resident on condolence visit. The two personnel from IBEDC who visited Akure are: Mr Sobukola J. O. (Technical Engineer) and Mr Omotoso A. (Admin Officer). In the course of the visit, our client was informed that the police were investigating the incident.

“However, on a recent visit to IBEDC Office in Ajase Ipo, Igbonla Town and Agbamu Police Station, representatives of our client were shocked to discover that there was no on-going police investigation into the incident.

It said, “It is our client’s further instructions that we write this Petition to your respected office to request that you use your good offices to cause thorough investigation into the incident that led to the death of his son, Mr Temidayo Adekuoroye.

“Further to the above, where the investigation reveals any wrong doing, we urge your good offices to bring the perpetrators to justice so as to serve as deterrence against further occurrence of the sad incident.

“While thanking you for the good works you have been doing, we hope that this Petition will be treated with all seriousness and urgency it deserves.”