By Adesina Soyooye
Confusion reigned at the Federal High Court, Benin City, Edo State, on Tuesday when a 52-year old woman died inside the Court during her prosecution.
Before her death in the Court room, she was being prosecuted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
Identified as Titilayo Akindele, her family holds the NDLEA responsible over, according to them, alleged negligence by the Agency which they claim, refused to grant her bail to enable the family attend to her health issues.
Akindele, a source said, was arrested in the third week of January 2026 by the Edo State Command of the NDLEA over an alleged possession of Loud, a prohibited type of hard drug.
Family members said that while in custody, she complained of ill-health and also emphasised on that during Court arraignments.
According to them, she repeatedly requested medical attention but a deaf ear was turned to her.
They alleged that NDLEA continued to oppose the granting of bail to her. Her death, her collapse, and subsequent death in Court, the family insist, refused to is due to the negligence she suffered in detention and the repeated court appearances without consideration to her health condition.
According to her son, Adeshola, the NDLEA was allegedly hard on her and refused every plea to release her on bail for medical attention.
He said: “Several times we drew the attention of the prison authority to give us the go-ahead to treat my mum but all to no avail as they kept on telling us that NDLEA declined such until she finally collapsed and died in the court room”
In panic, her body was momentarily abandoned in the Court room but was later removed by personnel of the Edo State Police Command, NDLEA officers, in an ambulance from Edo Central Hospital.
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