Tragedy in Edo: Son Accuses NDLEA of Negligence as Mother Dies During Court Trial

​BENIN CITY, NIGERIA — Outrage has sparked across Edo State following the tragic death of Titilayo Funke Akindele, a 52-year-old mother of five, who collapsed and died at the Edo State High Court during a hearing for alleged drug offenses. Her son, Samuel Akindele, has come forward with harrowing allegations, claiming the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) ignored her failing health and demanded millions in exchange for her release.

​The incident, which occurred late last week, was captured in a viral video showing a distraught Samuel in white clothing, pleading for help as his mother’s body lay in the court premises.

​According to Samuel, his mother was arrested in mid-January for the alleged possession of cannabis. While acknowledging she may have turned to the trade to support her 10-year-old child following the death of his father in 2017, Samuel insists the NDLEA treated her detention as a financial transaction.

​”We tried to negotiate her bail, but they demanded N5 million,” Samuel stated. “We offered N500,000, which was all we could muster, but they refused, eventually dropping their demand to N2 million.” He further alleged that while his mother languished in custody, other detainees were released after paying significant sums, describing the detention facility as operating “more like a company” than a law enforcement office.

​The most damning allegations involve the circumstances of her final hours. Titilayo had reportedly been ill for weeks. While the NDLEA claimed she had been taken for a check-up, they allegedly refused to show the family or the court the medical report.

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​On the morning of her death, Titilayo reportedly informed officers she was too weak to stand. Samuel claims he begged officers to let her stay back for treatment, but they forced her into the van.

​”After taking her to court, she collapsed. NDLEA officers even accused her of pretending, despite the fact that she had been dead for over an hour,” Samuel recounted.

​The court session was abruptly terminated as lawyers and onlookers scrambled to assist the dying woman. The NDLEA has yet to release an official rebuttal to the specific claims of extortion, though they facilitated the transport of the body to the mortuary after intervention from sympathetic bystanders.

​Human rights activists are now calling for a full investigation into the Edo State Command of the NDLEA. Samuel, through his lawyer, has filed a formal petition seeking justice for what he terms a “homicide by negligence.”

​”I am calling on the government to ensure justice,” Samuel said. “Government work must be carried out with humanity. These people have destroyed my life.”