Delta community demand for justices over alleged extrajudicial killing of 2 boys by police

…They were shot for attacking police station to free robbery suspect -Police

…Deceased going to a police station with a battle-axe was a lawless act –Barr Nani

 

By Shedrack Onitsha,

As controversies continue to trail the circumstances leading to the killing of two young men, Anneka Agbarou and O. Aki by some policemen attached to Jesse Police station, Jesse, Ethiope West Local Government Area, Delta State, youths of the community have called for an unbiased investigation to unearth the truth surrounding their deaths.

Meanwhile, Delta State Police command and a prominent chief from Jesse Kingdom and the Executive Director of Finance and Administration at the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Chief John Nani, said the deceased allegedly attacked policemen who then acted in self-defence.

Recalled that the Delta State Police command had alleged last week that the two young men killed were suspected cultists who allegedly raided the Police cell to free suspected armed robbers, and as a result, were gun down by police on duty.

However, some youths of the kingdom under the auspices of Idjerhe Youth Rebirth (IYR) has called for a thorough investigation of the incident, insisting that the death of the victims were as a result of police brutality and another case of extrajudicial killing by police to cover up their mess.

The group in a petition letter written and signed by Akpojuwewoh Francis as president and Doris Akowe as secretary, called the Inspector General of Police to investigate the killing insisting that the story of a cell attack by the police was no true.

ALSO READ: Two suspected cultists who allegedly invaded police station to free robbery suspects shot dead in Delta

According to the petition, “there is no way only one person will raid a police station and battle through policemen at the counter to free suspects.

“That is why we are saying the Inspector General of Police, and the Commissioner of Police, Delta State should step into this issue and let the Divisional Police Officer, Edmund Knight tell them the truth, they are harmless youths who were murdered in their prime and that is extrajudicial killing, and we are condemning it in totality.”

In another petition addressed to IGP, by one Comrade Akpe Wilson, he called for an urgent and honest investigation and prosecution of officer(s) involved in the “gruesome murder of Anneka Agbarou and O. Aki,” in order to avoid another major crisis between the Idjerhe kingdom and Divisional Police Headquarter in Jesse.

According to him, the Idjerhe (Jesse) people grief over broad daylight murder of harmless indigenes of Idjerhe kingdom in the early hour or Wednesday 27th May 2020. “ I write this petition to formally intimate you of the gruesome murder of Anneka Agbarou and O. Aki, due to unprofessional act capable of causing a breach of peace in Idjerhe Kingdom, by the police in the Jesse  Divisional Police Headquarters.

 

 

“Whilst I entreat that you use your good office to restrain the intemperance of the officer(s), involved in the alleged crime, I passionately plead and solicit your kind support to constitute a team of credible officers to investigate and prosecute the gruesome murder of Anneka Agbarou And O. Aki in furtherance to your commendable campaign to eliminate all manner of vices cum murder and corrupt practices among the police force in Nigeria whilst establishing professionalism.”

According to him Anneka Agbarou who is wearing only boxer without a shirt was arrested on 26th May 2020 and 27th May 2020 the second deceased by name Aki who is wearing white shirt and jeans, believed to be relative of Agbarou went to the Jesse Divisional police Headquarter with a mind to negotiate the release of his brother from the police custody.

ALSO READ: Kingship Tussle: Omasoro is not Idjerhe king, says the Gbrogodo of Idjerhe kingdom

However, the police denied the young man access to the police station, a process that led to disagreement between Aki and some police officers at the gate of the police station, which led to him been shot to death; adding that, “after shooting the young man to death at the gate, some police officers went inside the police cell to bring out Agbarou who was in the prison and thereafter, they shot him to death.”

“Sir, I’m pleading with you to use your office as the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force to do a thorough investigation of the murder of these two young men. All police officers on duty on 27th May 2020 should be thoroughly investigated.

“It’s an abomination for two vibrant and harmless youths to have been sent to their early grave in a day. If the Idjerhe people are not peace-loving people, perhaps the Jesse divisional police Headquarters would have been in flames before now.”

 

Deceased going to a police station with a battle-axe was a lawless act –Barr Nani

 

Meanwhile, Chief John Nani speaking to one of our correspondents said that the action of one of the boys who allegedly went to the police station with a battle-axe was a lawless act which no security agency would condone such thing, and such activities should be discouraged.

He believes that it’s unlikely that the deceased were extra-judicially killed, “how can a person go to the police station with a battle axe to meet policemen with guns?”

“Before he was killed why was he running away?, because he went to the station cell with a battle axe to free his colleagues and he was now running away, that was why he was shot, even a vigilante man was stabbed in his eyes and the vigilante is still receiving treatment in the hospital, and they are still saying it’s extrajudicial killing for God sake.

He added that “the cell is inside the police station, he chased the police women at the counter away and the police women ran out to call the policemen with guns, ask those around the scene, they will tell you that he also went to the roundabout held the iconic statue at the roundabout and he was reciting incantation before heading to the station, we should be law-abiding.”

ALSO READ: Women protest in Delta over herdsmen siege on their farm land

Collaborating Chief Nani position, the Idjerhe Youth President, Comr Edafe Osiebe said that cultist broke into the Jesse police station cell attempting to free suspects, that the intruder injured a vigilante and that he tried to disarm the police and he was gunned down.

When ADVOCATE contacted the Delta State Police Command, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Onome Onowhakpoyeya, denied that it was a case of extrajudicial killing,  according to her, “it’s not true, they attacked the police station in Jesse attempting to free robbery suspects and were running away when they were gunned down.”