Nigeria Police Exra-Judicial Killing, IPDI Demands For Justice, lssues IGP 7Days Ultimatum To Fetch Out And Bring To Book The Police Officers Involved In The Killing Of Six Edo State Ijaw Youths For The Interest Of Peace In The State
Francis Tayor
Benin_____ The ljaw Peoples Development lnitiative (IPDI), an ljaw interest advocate group has issued a seven days ultimatum to the Nigeria lnspector General of Police IGP, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed Adamu, to bring to book the police officers involved in the recent extra-judicial killing of six Edo State Ijaw youths in alleged framed up charges, stressing that the deceased are law abiding citizens, and never plotted to abduct someone, neither involved in any criminal kidnapped cases in Edo State.
The group made the call in a Press Statement at Benin, dated 10th October, 2019 jointly signed by the national President, Comrade Ozobo Austin and its Spokesman, Mayor Timi Ogobiri charged lnspector General of Police, Adamu Abubakar to as a matter of urgency investigate and bring to justice the commissioner of police Edo State, as well as the police officers led by Mr. Balogun in the state CID for the extermination of six (6) ljaw youths within 7days for the interest of peace in the state.
According to the Press Statement read; " We received a distress calls from our Edo-Ijaw brothers on the 8th October, 2019 that Seven(7) law abiding Ijaw youths were framed up and murdered in extra judicial manner by police officers attached to state CID with unsubstantiated, unfounded and basless allegations of plotting to abduct someone in the state.
We were told that the youths were picked by Mr Balogun , OC anti- kidnapping squad in their houses when they were asleep. They were arrested with no arm and any form of resistance. They made their statements and were detained in State CID at Edo state force headquarters, and after some days in police detention, 6 Ijaw youths Mr. Okoh Omus, Yeke None Agbefun and hope Tortor Uroupa and three others were brought out from the police cell and were given extra-judicial murder by the squad led by Mr. Balogun. And the next day one Lawani, the seventh person was granted bail with the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (#500,000.00).
This case is different from the alleged shoot out between police and suspected kidnappers in the state. None of these 7persons engaged any shoot out with the police as they were arrested based on unfounded intelligence report from their homes.
This is a gross misconduct as no police officer has the right to kill any suspect under detention, except ordered by a competent court of law. They were killed on mere speculations and suspicion, no trial and conviction. This is a jungle justice. Nigeria has been turned to banana republic. It is a pity that police under the current IGP have become lawless and blood sucking. We demand for justice. The commissioner of police, Edo state and the said squad led by Mr. Balogun must give account of the death of the said 6 Ijaw youths without further delay.
It is appalling that the police is now the court to order for summarily execution of suspects under its facilities, exercising a power that the police does not have. The youths were mere suspects, they have freedom of fair hearing, their right to life has been violated. They were killed without trial. This is unlawful and a sheer murder. We are aware of the script the police in Benin are playing, but we are not perturbed because the end shall justify the means. If they have actually committed crime, they would have been charged and tried in court. The law made it clear that killing suspects after obtaining statements is punishable by law. Those police officers must face the music.
We are disappointed by the action of the police in Edo state, as the killling smack a display of hatred for the Ijaws in the state. Some Benin youths threat Ijaws in an online video parading with aka 47 rifles but no one of those guys has been arrested uptill now. This shows that the police has already taken side with the Benis against Ijaws in the state. The Benis are now hiding under the police to be killing the Ijaws. This shows that the ethnic war between the Benis and Ijaws has started already.
This is an ethnic cleansing agenda, Nigeria police are now out to kill all aboriginal Ijaws in Edo state has been contracted. This is unacceptable as we will not fold our hands over this sheer murder. We are sending a formal petition to IGP as well within the coming days.
Therefore, we call on the inspector general of police to investigate and bring to justice the commissioner of police Edo state, and the police officers led by Mr. Balogun in the state CID for the extermination of the 6 Ijaw youths within 7days for the interest of peace in the state, the statement adds."
Signed:
Comrade.Ozobo Austin,
President IPDI
Mayor Timi Ogobiri,
Acting Spokesman IPDI
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