A 52-year-old woman, Titilayo, died suddenly after collapsing in the Federal High Court in Benin City, Edo State, on Tuesday, shortly after being arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). She had been in custody since January 2026, accused of selling a substance suspected to be hard drugs, and was brought to court by NDLEA operatives when she collapsed. Relatives of the deceased, weeping at the courthouse, blamed the NDLEA for her death, claiming she had been unwell during detention and did not receive proper medical attention. They alleged that her body was left unattended in the courtroom after she died, sparking anger among onlookers.
NDLEA's Edo State Commander, Mitchell Ofoyeju, denied any wrongdoing, stating that Titilayo walked into court unaided and showed no signs of ill health before her collapse. 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." Ofoyeju added that the incident involved mistaken identity amid crowd confusion and that his officers were securing other suspects, not fleeing. The event has drawn public outcry, with demands for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her prolonged detention and death.
Titilayo spent over a year in custody without trial, a detail that exposes how easily lives are suspended in Nigeria's justice pipeline. When a suspect dies in court, the system—not just the NDLEA—bears responsibility for allowing such prolonged pretrial detentions. This case does not reveal a rogue agency but a routine disregard for due process that leaves detainees vulnerable. No statement from Mitchell Ofoyeju changes the fact that no conviction can justify a death before trial.
