Policemen held for killing, selling bodies for N11,000 each

At least, 13 policemen serving in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, will soon be arraigned in court for allegedly killing about six detainees in police custody and selling their bodies to the Anatomy Department of the University of Calabar (UNICAL). Their possible arraignment follows recommendations by the state Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).
New Telegraph had in June reported that a 300 level Accounting student of the UNICAL, Derek Maurice, was among those killed in police custody on April 17 and their bodies sold for N11,000 each to the Anatomy Department of the institution. The policemen were arrested on August 6 and are currently being held at the Zone 6 detention facilities, pending arraignment.
But last week, the DPP recommended the prosecution of the said policemen, according to investigation by our correspondent. The policemen, led by one Sergeant Anthony Idoko, were accused of extrajudicially murdering six young men on April 17 and selling their bodies to the Anatomy Department of the UNICAL.
The lid over the murder by the said policemen was blown open in June when Mrs Eno Maurice, Derek’s mother, petitioned the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, Zone 6, over the disappearance of her son. The AIG set up an investigative panel of enquiry to unravel the cause of Derek’s disappearance.
The panel traced Derek’s disappearance body and the bodies of the five others to the Anatomy Department of UNICAL. The panel’s report was said to have indicted Idoko and his accomplices who were promptly detained from June 25 to 28 at Zone 6 Police Headquarters, Calabar, but were released pending the recommendations of the DPP of the Ministry of Justice of the Cross River State.

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