Custodial deaths seen in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Lagos, Nigeria: An 11-year autopsy study

Introduction Deaths in custody are a matter of global concern. However, such information is often missing in developing countries. This study aimed to examine retrospectively the profile, cause and manner of deaths amongst cases of custodial deaths in Lagos State, Nigeria. Method An 11-year study (June 2008–June 2019) was done of all autopsy cases of custodial deaths in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Variables including age, sex, offence, place of death, duration in custody prior to death and cause and manner of death were extracted from the records. Results were analysed using frequencies and percentages. Results Out of 9894 autopsies over the study period, 45 custodial deaths were identified. Males and females constituted 84.4% and 15.6%, respectively (M:F = 5.4:1). Ages ranged from 20 to 64 years, with a mean age of 37 ± 11.0 years. These deaths were most common in the third decade. Armed robbery and financial crime were the two leading reasons for arrest, while most deaths occurred within 24 hours of arrival in custody. The two leading causes of death were acute cardiac failure from hypertensive heart disease and cranio-cerebral injury from blunt-force trauma. Conclusion Deaths in custody need to be properly investigated and particular attention needs to be paid to unlawful deaths if and when they arise.