A BUS driver has died in a police cell but the police on Wednesday denied an allegation by his family that he was “tortured” to death in detention. Lateef Toriola, arrested last Friday, died the following day of “sudden and natural death in police custody”, said Lagos State police representative Victor Chilaka. Toriola “was not tortured to death” as alleged by the deceased’s family, Chilaka said. He did not say why the driver was arrested. Chilaka said that a policeman, simply identified as Kayode, who was accused by Toriola’s family of demanding a 50 000 naira ($446) bribe to have the driver released from detention, was being interrogated. The driver was allegedly “tortured” to death for failure to pay the ransom, his family said. If the security officer was found guilty, he would be “punished,” Chilaka said. Allegations of police corruption are rife in Nigeria. Newly-appointed Inspector General of Police Tafa Balogun had on Monday promised to crack down on corruption within the police. – AFP