From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Edo Police Command’s account of how bullet fired at a fleeing murder suspect by its operative killed Moses Adamu in Benin City, was yesterday debunked by Nigerian Bar Association, Benin Branch.
The NBA in a statement by its Police Duty Solicitors Scheme (PDSS), condemned the unprovoked and extra-judicial killing of Adamu by some officers and men of the Anti kidnapping Unit of the Edo Edo State Police Command, State Headquarters, Benin.
It said Adamu was shot dead at about 4: 08 pm shortly after he drove into Benin from Lagos to attend the wedding of his sister, a law books vendor at the High Court, Benin City, which was slated for Saturday, September,18th 2021.
The statement jointly signed by Amechi Nwaozor, Coordinator, Emmanuel Okorie, Programme Officer and Patrick Ofor, member PDSS, stated that ”The deceased before his death was with his friends in a vehicle driving from his tailor’s shop to pick his dress in preparation for his sister’s wedding when a vehicle with a tinted glass overtook them while a man with a pistol (not dressed in police uniform) alighted from the vehicle.
“The late Moses and his friends not sure of their identity tried to escape thinking they were kidnappers. In the process, the occupants of the tinted glass vehicle opened fire on them unprovoked. They shot at the back tyre of the vehicle (up to five times) and shot at the passenger’s front door which bullets hit Mr. Moses Adamu on his right thigh. Mr. Moses Adamu’s friends made efforts to take him to Edo Specialist Hospital, Benin City where he was received at the emergency ward at about 4:55 pm for treatment but at that time he had lost so much blood.
“Some of his friends volunteered to donate some pints of blood to help out but unfortunately at about 8: 44 pm, Mr. Moses became unconscious after a while he gave up the ghost.
“The Chairman of the Lion Bar, Mr. Pius Oiwoh was contacted by the family of the deceased and he resourcefully assisted them by making the necessary calls to the high ranking officers and other security stakeholders. The Chairman went further to send members of the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme (PDSS) to monitor the situation and as well, take up the case.
“As members of the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme (PDSS) we swung into action before the deceased passed on and discovered that the said Police officers from Anti – kidnapping Unit of State who shot the deceased did not make a report to their superior officers that they shot at Mr. Moses Adamu.
“Upon their visit to the station, Mr. Moses Adamu’s friends identified the men that carried out the operation and reported the matter to their superiors who then visited the hospital to see for themselves shortly before the deceased passed on. The said Senior officers however later made money available for the medical bills at about midnight while we also made the necessary arrangements to deposit the body of the deceased at the mortuary at Stella Obasanjo Hospital, Benin City at about 1:45 am (18th September 2021.
“The PDSS, therefore, urges the Police High Command, the Edo State Government, the National Human Rights Commission, and the National Assembly to ensure the proper investigation and prosecution of this matter which exposes the ill-treatments our people suffer in the hands of our security personnel. The soul of the deceased cries for justice”.
Recall that spokesman of the Edo Police Command, SP Kontongs Bello, had in a statement on Saturday announced that its operative in a bid to restrain the fleeing suspect, Ebuka Nwaechie, who allegedly killed one Bright Orikose on December 12,2020, fired a shot which unfortunately hit Moses Adamu on the thigh inside a moving car, which injury led to his death at the Edo Specialist hospital.