A 52-year-old woman identified as Titilayo collapsed and passed away just minutes after being arraigned at the Federal High Court in Benin City on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Titilayo was reportedly apprehended by the Edo State Task Force and subsequently handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for legal action.
She was alleged to have been involved in the sale of a substance suspected to be a hard drug.
Court witnesses suggested that the NDLEA displayed negligence, stating that the woman seemed unwell upon her arrival in court.
According to these witnesses, despite her apparent condition, she was still brought forth for arraignment.
In response, the Edo State Commandant of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, refuted any claims of negligence from his officers.
Ofoyeju insisted that there had been no indication that the deceased was unfit to attend court.
He stated, “It is not true what they are saying. She was arraigned in court. There was no indication that she was not physically fit. She walked to the vehicle, entered the court, and got out unaided. What transpired is not something to assign blame for.”
He described her arrest as related to her selling 'Loud,' a term for high- quality cannabis.
“Her death was a case of mistaken identity. When she collapsed, it gathered a crowd, and there were other suspects present. Officers had to secure the other accused individuals to prevent them from fleeing amid the crowd explosion. The crowd wrongly believed that my men were retreating. They were not under any attack,” he explained.
“This situation is regrettable. I express my condolences to the family. We hope for all drug suspects to be healthy and able to conclude their trials.”
“Honestly, we cannot determine the cause of her death without an autopsy. She entered the courtroom by herself,” he added.
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