Patrick Peresousdei: Family Alleges Security Agencies Played a Role in His Death
The younger brother of Patrick Peresousdei, who died six days after his release from a detention centre operated by the Bayelsa State Police Command’s Operation Puff Alder, has accused security operatives of subjecting Patrick to severe torture while in custody—allegations the police have continued to deny.
Patrick’s brother, Destiny Peresousdei, told PulseNets that both of them were allegedly brutalised by Bodmas Kemepadei, alongside operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), before they were later handed over to the police. Destiny maintained that his late brother fell critically ill following what he described as sustained physical abuse by security personnel.
PulseNets obtained a 20-minute video showing the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Youth Development, Alfred Kemepado Nimizigha, visiting the Peresousdei family as part of an official fact-finding and tension-calming intervention after Patrick’s death. During the visit, Destiny openly challenged claims by the police that Patrick had sustained injuries prior to his arrest.
“My name is Destiny Peresousdei, and it was on January 15, 2026, around 5:45 a.m., when someone knocked at our gate,” he said. “We later discovered it was Bodmas’ vehicle. My brother went downstairs to open the gate, and immediately Bodmas started slapping him.”
According to Destiny, four NSCDC officers later joined in the alleged assault. He said both brothers were forcefully bundled into a vehicle and driven—not to a police station—but first to Kemepadei’s private residence.
“When we got to Bodmas’ house, some boys came out, lifted us, threw us on the floor, tied our hands and legs, and beat us for almost three hours,” Destiny told PulseNets. “They used planks and machetes. We were already bleeding before they finally moved us to Operation Puff Alder.”
Destiny further alleged that the brothers were detained for several days without any formal statement being taken or a written petition presented against them. He said Patrick appeared physically fine when they were briefly separated on January 20, but was later returned to him in a dire condition.
“They just dumped my brother beside me. He couldn’t talk. He couldn’t lift his arms or even his neck,” he said. “That was when my uncle rushed him to the hospital.”
Patrick was reportedly taken to multiple public hospitals across Bayelsa State before doctors referred him to tertiary medical facilities in Port Harcourt. Destiny said the family faced severe financial difficulties in trying to sustain his treatment. Patrick eventually died on January 28 after developing complications that affected his breathing.
“The police never took my brother to any clinic,” Destiny said. “Everything—from hospital visits to drugs—was done by us alone.”
As of the time of filing this report, the Bayelsa State Police Command has not issued a detailed public response addressing the allegations. However, in the video reviewed by PulseNets, police representatives insisted that Patrick already had injuries before being transferred into their custody—an assertion Destiny firmly described as false.
Also Read: Patrick Peresousdei: Bayelsa Police Debunk Viral Claim of Four Girls Found Dead in Akenfa, Confirm Ritual Suspect Arrest
Meanwhile, several civil society organisations have renewed calls for an independent and transparent investigation into the arrest, detention, and death of Patrick Peresousdei, amid growing public concern over alleged abuses linked to specialised police units operating within Bayelsa State.
