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| Asari |
Controversy has started trailing the killing of an artist
allegedly shot dead by soldiers attached to the 3Battalion of the Nigerian Army
in Warri, Delta State.
The deceased, identified as Tony Omoro was allegedly shot dead by soldiers over alleged involvement in the attempted kidnap of one Chief Jonathan Governor.
Tony was gunned down after a suspect reportedly arrested by the army personnel fingered him in the kidnap saga. It was learnt that Tony was reportedly invited by Chief Governor after the prime suspect arrested by the army confessed and listed him as accomplice.
But addressing newsmen yesterday at his chamber in Warri, human rights lawyer, Festus Keyamo who spoke at the behest of the deceased family argued that if the deceased was actually a kidnapper, he could not have gone to the home of his victims to pick a ransom.
Keyamo said that Tony alongside his girlfriend, had gone to the home of Chief Governor on invitation on the fateful day where he was threatened that he (Tony) was not going to come out of the case alive.
He said that it was yet another extra-judicial killing by the army saying it’s not possible for a kidnapper to boldly go to the home of their victim to pick ransom demand.
Keyamo, who spoke through one of the lawyers in his chambers, Matthew Omonade said that appropriate steps would be taken to ensure that all those involved in the dastard act are brought to justice adding that in a few days, the chambers would petition the IGP and other relevant agencies to ensure that justice takes its course.
“The officers who were used as instrument alongside Chief Jonathan Governor should be prosecuted for the death because Tony Omoro was neither a kidnapper nor an assassin”, he stressed.
Speaking in the same vein, Rex Anighoro said that the deceased was a member of the Alhaji Asari-Dokubo-led Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPF) of which he was renowned as a crusader artist using his musical ingenuity.
NDPF spokesman said that the killing came even as the police Area Command in Warri was not aware of any case of attempted kidnap lodged by the said Chief Governor for which the deceased was arrested, tried and executed.
He however said that if the law enforcement agency fails to do justice to the case, the Niger Delta freedom fighters would have no option than to use the same means by which Tony was killed to seek justice.
His words: “We asked the Area Command to ask if such case was reported and he said no. He even said he had warned his DPOs in the area not to take corpses from military men without his knowledge and that if the army embarks on any operation they should be responsible and not drag the police to it.
“That is why we are calling for justice because he that comes to justice must come with clean hands and our hands are clean but if the law fails to take its course, or our clean hands are made dirty,we are prepared to dance naked in the market square,” he warned.
In his own version, the Commanding Officer of 3Battalion, Lt-Col. Ifeanyi Otu said that the suspects, one Fidelis Amani and Tony Omoro were gunned down after collecting a mock N10 million ransom (a bag filled with papers).
He said: “On October 23, 2012, at about 0910 hours, a report of the activities of hired assassins was lodged at our office by a would-be victim, Chief Jonathan Governor of Ekpan.
“He said two persons called him and also sent threat messages with an Airtel number that a woman paid them N1million to kill him if he does not pay a ransom of N10million.
“So we asked him to play along while the unit set out to track down the criminals.
Following a good operation plan at about 1610 hours on October 23, 2012, we arranged a Ghana must go bag filled with papers as the ransom and took it to the designated place (a dust bin near Ekpan General Hospital).
“The two suspects arrived the location where our troops in mufti had condoned off the area well ahead of the time.
“Unsuspecting of the security arrangements, they collected the bag of ransom and made off; they were gunned down while trying to escape.
“We recovered three mobile phones and the fake ransom, their corpse and exhibits were handed over to the police, he added”.
The deceased, identified as Tony Omoro was allegedly shot dead by soldiers over alleged involvement in the attempted kidnap of one Chief Jonathan Governor.
Tony was gunned down after a suspect reportedly arrested by the army personnel fingered him in the kidnap saga. It was learnt that Tony was reportedly invited by Chief Governor after the prime suspect arrested by the army confessed and listed him as accomplice.
But addressing newsmen yesterday at his chamber in Warri, human rights lawyer, Festus Keyamo who spoke at the behest of the deceased family argued that if the deceased was actually a kidnapper, he could not have gone to the home of his victims to pick a ransom.
Keyamo said that Tony alongside his girlfriend, had gone to the home of Chief Governor on invitation on the fateful day where he was threatened that he (Tony) was not going to come out of the case alive.
He said that it was yet another extra-judicial killing by the army saying it’s not possible for a kidnapper to boldly go to the home of their victim to pick ransom demand.
Keyamo, who spoke through one of the lawyers in his chambers, Matthew Omonade said that appropriate steps would be taken to ensure that all those involved in the dastard act are brought to justice adding that in a few days, the chambers would petition the IGP and other relevant agencies to ensure that justice takes its course.
“The officers who were used as instrument alongside Chief Jonathan Governor should be prosecuted for the death because Tony Omoro was neither a kidnapper nor an assassin”, he stressed.
Speaking in the same vein, Rex Anighoro said that the deceased was a member of the Alhaji Asari-Dokubo-led Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPF) of which he was renowned as a crusader artist using his musical ingenuity.
NDPF spokesman said that the killing came even as the police Area Command in Warri was not aware of any case of attempted kidnap lodged by the said Chief Governor for which the deceased was arrested, tried and executed.
He however said that if the law enforcement agency fails to do justice to the case, the Niger Delta freedom fighters would have no option than to use the same means by which Tony was killed to seek justice.
His words: “We asked the Area Command to ask if such case was reported and he said no. He even said he had warned his DPOs in the area not to take corpses from military men without his knowledge and that if the army embarks on any operation they should be responsible and not drag the police to it.
“That is why we are calling for justice because he that comes to justice must come with clean hands and our hands are clean but if the law fails to take its course, or our clean hands are made dirty,we are prepared to dance naked in the market square,” he warned.
In his own version, the Commanding Officer of 3Battalion, Lt-Col. Ifeanyi Otu said that the suspects, one Fidelis Amani and Tony Omoro were gunned down after collecting a mock N10 million ransom (a bag filled with papers).
He said: “On October 23, 2012, at about 0910 hours, a report of the activities of hired assassins was lodged at our office by a would-be victim, Chief Jonathan Governor of Ekpan.
“He said two persons called him and also sent threat messages with an Airtel number that a woman paid them N1million to kill him if he does not pay a ransom of N10million.
“So we asked him to play along while the unit set out to track down the criminals.
Following a good operation plan at about 1610 hours on October 23, 2012, we arranged a Ghana must go bag filled with papers as the ransom and took it to the designated place (a dust bin near Ekpan General Hospital).
“The two suspects arrived the location where our troops in mufti had condoned off the area well ahead of the time.
“Unsuspecting of the security arrangements, they collected the bag of ransom and made off; they were gunned down while trying to escape.
“We recovered three mobile phones and the fake ransom, their corpse and exhibits were handed over to the police, he added”.
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