Retrospective Post Mortem Study of Custodial Deaths in Uyo, South-South, Nigeria

The medicolegal auditing of the pattern of death among detainees in police and prison custody is a useful tool in planning for quality care to be given to detainees, who do not have access to stable health care as seen in the free world.

To retrospectively study the peculiarities of custodial deaths (CD), among individuals detained in police and prison custody in Uyo, South-Soth Nigeria and to suggest preventive measures.

This is a review of all the post mortem examinations (PME) that were performed on detainees that died in police or prison custody over 4 years.

They were 9 detainees aged between 22-44 years with an average age of 31.1 years. All the detainees were males. Six (66.7%) persons died in police custody, while 2 (22.2%) died in prison custody and 1 (11.1%) person died in police clinic. The shortest duration of detention before death was 1 day (24 hours) and the longest 80 days. Marks of torture were seen in 2 (22.2%) cases. The cause of death was seen in 8 (88.9%) cases. In 1 (11.1%) no anatomic pathologic cause of death was seen. The manner of death was natural in 4 (44.4%), homicide 3 (33.3%), accidental 1 (11.1%) and undetermined 1 (11.1%). The 4 natural causes of death were 2 cases of hypertensive cardiovascular disease, a case of myocardial infarction and a case of alcoholic hepatitis. The cause of death in all the homicidal and accidental cases were massive intracranial bleeding.

Natural death is the most common manner of death among detainees in Uyo.