How Clifford Orji died, by prison authorities

ACTING Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Prison Command Mr.Biyi Jeje, yester day explained how Clifford Orji, the alleged cannibal who was arrested 13 years ago died in Kirikiri Prison on Friday.

Jeje, who confirmed Orji’s death to The Nation said the suspect died in his sleep.

He said: “As at Thursday, Orji was fine but on Friday morning, he died in his sleep. The cause of death is still unknown but an autopsy would be performed,” he said.

Orji it was arrested shortly after he was caught with what were allegedly human parts and later remanded in prison custody on court orders.

The Kirikiri Prison authorities however claimed his mental case got worse. It was gathered that medical analysis carried out on him showed that he was mentally deranged and prison authorities tried to take him to mental hospitals for treatment but he was rejected.

Jeje confirmed that Orji had been rejected by many mental health facilities in the country and noted that the prisons authorities did all it could to manage his illness.

He said: “We took Orji to many health facilities but he was rejected time and time again. I don’t know why they rejected him but we did all we could to manage his illness.”

“The alleged cannibal and long time inmate at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison died of unknown causes.

“An autopsy is being performed to ascertain the real cause of Orij’s death and the result would also be made public.”

Orji was arrested in February 1999, by the police, under the bridge around Toyota Bus Stop on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.

It was alleged by the police then, that he was discovered to be killing and eating humans under the bridge.

He was subsequently charged before the Ebute-Meta Magistrate’s Court, on February 19, but was never tried.

A prison official who pleaded for anonymity told our reporter that Orji who was usually restless, kept to himself all through Thursday.

The prison authorities also reported some few months back that Orji had completely gone mad.

via The Nation