An upcoming artiste, Paul Obukohwo, has reportedly died in the custody of the Delta State Police Command after he sustained grievous injuries allegedly inflicted by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Asaba.

The 24-year-old, who had gone to secure the release of his friend, Prosper Odili, from detention, was confirmed dead on Saturday morning at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, where he was rushed for treatment by the police.

Findings revealed that Obukohwo’s remains were still at the FMC at the time of this report, while the policemen who took him to the hospital reportedly fled upon confirmation of his death.

It was gathered that the incident stemmed from the arrest of his 19-year-old friend, Prosper Odili, by RRS operatives around 8:00 am on Wednesday along Redeemed Road, Okpanam, in Oshimili North Local Government Area.

Sources said the officers took Odili to his residence, conducted a search, and found nothing incriminating. Despite this, he was taken back to the police headquarters in Asaba and detained.

Obukohwo, in a bid to bail his friend around 5:00 pm on the same day, approached the RRS office but was reportedly arrested, handcuffed, and mercilessly beaten. The assault allegedly left him in a critical state before he was thrown into a cell, where he later collapsed.

Initially, he was rushed to the police clinic but was referred to a specialist hospital in Asaba when his condition worsened. The specialist hospital, unable to manage the situation, further referred him to FMC, where he eventually passed away.

Reacting to the incident, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, in a WhatsApp message, claimed the deceased “fell sick and was taken to the hospital, diagnosed with low blood sugar, referred to Asaba Specialist Hospital, and later to FMC before he died.”