Fresh facts have emerged showing that late Ibrahim Momodu, who was allegedly
killed by a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Afegbai, was tortured before he was
killed.
The revelation was made at a press conference organized by
Civil Society Organizations in Edo State on Wednesday in Benin, where photographs of Momoh during his torture were shown to journalists.
Photos taken during his autopsy also
showed that contrary to what the police said concerning the killing, Momoh was
shot three times in the heart at close range, leading to his death. Lawyer to
the bereaved family, Barr. Jefferson Uwoghiren, explained that the photo, which
they had obtained from a well-meaning police officer who allegedly witnessed
the incident, was evident that Momoh was arrested, taken to the station,
dragged and beaten, before he was shot.
The first photo, obtained from an
officer, showed Momoh lying on the ground and trying to protect his face with a
hand, probably from those beating him.
No sign of blood was seen on his
clothes, showing that he still had not been shot.
According to Barrister Uworighen,
the photo contradicted evidence available on the exhumed body of the murdered
student. He told journalists that the exhumed body had blood all over the
clothes, showing that the first photo was taken before the shooting.
The second photo, of the autopsy, showed bullet holes on his body, indicating that he was shot in the chest thrice and once in the leg. The bullets pierced through the heart, perforating his back.
The lawyer also showed another photo, of another boy who was also summarily executed by the same Ogida Police Station. The body, according to him, stained with blood everywhere, was also enough evidence that when one is shot, blood must flow.
The second photo, of the autopsy, showed bullet holes on his body, indicating that he was shot in the chest thrice and once in the leg. The bullets pierced through the heart, perforating his back.
The lawyer also showed another photo, of another boy who was also summarily executed by the same Ogida Police Station. The body, according to him, stained with blood everywhere, was also enough evidence that when one is shot, blood must flow.
“There is no single drop of blood on
this body. We don’t know whether he was alive or dead, but you can see his hand
protecting his head from being beating. We have also gone to the location the police
alleged he was shot. There is no single drop of blood anywhere there.”
The Civil Societies comprised of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, National Association of Nigerian Students, National Association of Polytechnic Students, Conference of Non-Governmental Organization of Nigeria, Pan Nigeria Youth Congress, Southern Nigeria Youth Congress, National Farmers Initiative Association of Nigeria, Edo Citizen Speak Initiative, Gani Fawehinmi Movement for Good Governance, Niger-Delta People Salvation Front, National Association of Man ‘O’ War Clubs in Higher Institutions of Nigeria, The Talakwa’s Parliament, Edo Youth for Good Governance, Initiative for Youth Awareness On Migration, Immigration, Development and Re-integration, Edo Youth Activists Association, R.U. Oronsaye Foundation, Edo Youth Congress and the lawyer to the bereaved family, Barrister Jefferson Uwoghiren issued this statement at a meeting held at ANEEJ secretariat in Benin city.
The group in a communiqué issued shortly after the meeting and read by the President of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organization of Nigeria, Comrade Obasanmi Jude said the Edo State Government must not go back on its decision of setting up a panel of enquiring and ensuring that forensic experts be invited to ascertain the finger prints on the gun.
The group also said it was imperative for the state government to set up the investigative panel in order for the actual truth about the killing of the UNIBEN student not to be swept under the carpet, urging the Nigerian Police Authority to retrieve the case file sent to the State Director of Public Prosecutor, (DPP) for advice and follow due process.
The statement stated that the autopsy report released has proven that the student was shot thrice from the back and that going by the antecedent of the Nigeria Police Force in case handling, the authenticity of the case file sent to the DPP was questionable.
Furthermore, the group also called on the police authority not to exonerate the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Carol Onyeka Afegbai either by way of re-deploying or otherwise.
The Civil Societies said the National Human Rights Commission should also set up a committee to probe the abuse of the human rights of the student that led to his death.
The group said the struggle to get to the root cause of the matter was not against the police but to help the police in fishing out bad eggs in the Force in line with the new Police Code of Conduct.
Finally, Barr. Uwoghiren said verifiable evidences available has shown that the student was not shot and killed at the check point when he was stopped along Siluko Road in the night of the incident.
The Civil Societies comprised of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, National Association of Nigerian Students, National Association of Polytechnic Students, Conference of Non-Governmental Organization of Nigeria, Pan Nigeria Youth Congress, Southern Nigeria Youth Congress, National Farmers Initiative Association of Nigeria, Edo Citizen Speak Initiative, Gani Fawehinmi Movement for Good Governance, Niger-Delta People Salvation Front, National Association of Man ‘O’ War Clubs in Higher Institutions of Nigeria, The Talakwa’s Parliament, Edo Youth for Good Governance, Initiative for Youth Awareness On Migration, Immigration, Development and Re-integration, Edo Youth Activists Association, R.U. Oronsaye Foundation, Edo Youth Congress and the lawyer to the bereaved family, Barrister Jefferson Uwoghiren issued this statement at a meeting held at ANEEJ secretariat in Benin city.
The group in a communiqué issued shortly after the meeting and read by the President of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organization of Nigeria, Comrade Obasanmi Jude said the Edo State Government must not go back on its decision of setting up a panel of enquiring and ensuring that forensic experts be invited to ascertain the finger prints on the gun.
The group also said it was imperative for the state government to set up the investigative panel in order for the actual truth about the killing of the UNIBEN student not to be swept under the carpet, urging the Nigerian Police Authority to retrieve the case file sent to the State Director of Public Prosecutor, (DPP) for advice and follow due process.
The statement stated that the autopsy report released has proven that the student was shot thrice from the back and that going by the antecedent of the Nigeria Police Force in case handling, the authenticity of the case file sent to the DPP was questionable.
Furthermore, the group also called on the police authority not to exonerate the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Carol Onyeka Afegbai either by way of re-deploying or otherwise.
The Civil Societies said the National Human Rights Commission should also set up a committee to probe the abuse of the human rights of the student that led to his death.
The group said the struggle to get to the root cause of the matter was not against the police but to help the police in fishing out bad eggs in the Force in line with the new Police Code of Conduct.
Finally, Barr. Uwoghiren said verifiable evidences available has shown that the student was not shot and killed at the check point when he was stopped along Siluko Road in the night of the incident.
According
to the lawyer, the deceased was arrested alive and taken to the Ogida Police
Station by the DPO, Carol Afegbai whom he said had for time be on the lookout
for the student. This insisted the lawyer; contradicted police claim that the
student was killed in self-defence.
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