Blessing Iruoma, Port Harcourt
A civil society group, the Rivers Civil Society Organisation and the family of a late upcoming musician, Chibuike Dominic Ikeaguchi, otherwise called ‘Sleek’, who was reportedly killed by police officers attached to Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the state’s Police Command, have accused law enforcement agents in the state of alleged extortion in prosecuting the matter.
They called for urgent arraignment and prosecution of the officers who killed the musician.
Family of the late musician alleged that the police extorted money from them to conduct an autopsy on the body of their late son.
Speaking with newsmen, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Thursday, father of the deceased, Dominic Ikeaguchi, regretted that the family had to pay for the autopsy to be done at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).
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He said the police killed his son, yet his family paid “a lot” for investigation and prosecution of the matter.
He disclosed, “I paid for the autopsy. Before I paid for it, I asked the doctor (Police Pathologist) in the presence of the police officers that took us there who is the owner of this result?
“He said it is the police. I said, then why am I paying for it? He replied that it is the system. I paid one N100, 000 for the autopsy. I also paid transportation for the policemen from the Police headquarter and back after the autopsy.
“The mortuary attendants demanded ten thousand naira from me probably to take care of my son’s body and other expenses I made. That day alone I spent almost N200, 000,” he lamented.
On his part, leader of Rivers State Civil Society Organisation, Mr. Enefaa Georgewill, condemned the alleged extortion by the police and called for the immediate arraignment of the policeman involved the killing.
Georgewill’s words, “We wonder why the police is still delaying in the name of orderly room trial over three weeks now. By now they ought to have arraigned their men in Court.
“The facts speaks for itself; the issues are clear; the videos are there. He (sleek) was shot unarmed.
“Our laws are clear, especially as it relates to section seven of the anti-torture Act. That section clearly spells out what should happen if a citizen is tortured or killed through any inhuman or cruel manner. To make it worse, up till now, the Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan is yet to visit the family of Sleek.
“We also demand that the policemen should be arraigned in Court. We are not comfortable with prolong orderly room trial.”
Georgewill threatened that the group and family of Sleek would protest in the streets of Port Harcourt if police did not “do the needful”.
It would be recalled that four police officers from the anti-kidnapping unit of the Rivers State Police Command and one Sergeant attached to a supermarket were detained for shooting the 20-year-old Chibuike, in Elelewo axis of Obi-Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
Reacting on the allegations, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nnamdi Omoni, said the command was not aware of the claims by family of the deceased.
Speaking with The Nigerian Xpress, Omoni said: “We are not aware of extortion claims by the family of late Chibuike. If such exist, they should have approach the office and lay their complaint.
“Hearing it now, I will investigate the allegation”.
