Wednesday, June 12, 2013

How UNIBEN student was killed —Counsel

SHOCKING revelations about how, where and when Ibrahim Momodu, a student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), who was allegedly killed by the police in Benin City, on May 27 were on Tuesday brought to light by counsel for the family of the deceased student, Mr Jefferson Uwoghiren.
Uwoghiren, who spoke with journalists in Benin City, affirmed the allegation that the DPO actually pulled the trigger that took the life out of the late Ibrahim, as opposed to the claims made by the husband of the DPO and the police that the DPO’s orderly killed the student.
The Edo State Police  Commissioner, Mr Foluso Adebanjo, had, while addressing a press conference last Thursday, was quoted to have said, “It is not in dispute that the police shot the late Ibrahim Momodu to prevent his escape, though he later died.”
He added that “the DPO of Ogida Division, Carol Afegbai, had been redeployed and her orderly, Amadin Idahosa, who shot the deceased, has been redeployed to facilitate further investigation.”
Uwoghiren, however, faulted these claims, saying that Ibrahim was killed on the premises of Ogida police station in the full glare of onlookers.
To prove his case, he displayed a picture of Ibrahim in the same polo shirt, pair of jeans trousers and sneakers in which he was buried, laying on the ground, purportedly taken just before he was shot dead.
“Look at this picture my brother, it was taken there at the police station before they killed him. Does this boy look like somebody who was about to attack the police with gun as they claimed? Where is the gun in his hand?” he queried.
Uwoghiren vowed to do everything possible to ensure that the killers of Momoh were exposed and brought to justice.
Meanwhile, Edo State government has halted action on the setting up of a panel of enquiry into the killing of Momodu.
A press statement from the office of the Press Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, stated that government’s decision was premised on the fact that events had overtaken the pronouncement made by government to set up a judicial panel of enquiry, as the case file on the late Momodu had since been submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions by the police for advice and further action.
“It will therefore amount to a duplication of efforts by government to set up another panel of enquiry, since the Director of Public Prosecutions is a government functionary in the state Ministry of Justice.
“Government is, therefore, of the view that it is sufficient at this point to wait for the outcome of the investigation and advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions before any other step is taken by government,” the statement added.
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