A 52-year-old woman, identified as Titilayo, slumped and died minutes after she was arraigned at the Federal High Court sitting in Benin City on Tuesday.
The deceased was reportedly arrested by the Edo State Task Force and subsequently handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for prosecution.
She was said to have been apprehended for allegedly selling a substance suspected to be a hard drug.
Witnesses at the court blamed the NDLEA for alleged negligence, claiming the woman appeared unwell when she was brought before the court.
They alleged that despite her condition, she was still presented for arraignment.
However, the Edo State Commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, denied any wrongdoing or negligence on the part of his officers.
Ofoyeju said there was nothing to indicate that the deceased was unfit to stand trial.
He said, “It is not true what they are saying. She was arraigned in court. There was no issue that she was not physically fit. She personally walked to the car, got to the court and came down herself. What happened is not something you can start trading blame.
“She was arrested by the Edo State Task Force and transferred to the NDLEA. She was arrested for selling ‘Loud’, a slang term for high-quality, pungent-smelling cannabis.
“What happened was a mistaken identity. When she collapsed, it attracted a crowd and there were other suspects. The officers had to secure other accused persons to avoid them dispersing with the crowd. The crowd thought my men were running away. My men were not attacked.
“This is unfortunate. My condolences to the family. Our desire is for any drug suspect or accused person to be well, healthy and complete their trials.
“Honestly, we have no idea what killed her unless an autopsy is conducted. She walked into the courtroom by herself.
