From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Family of a victim of alleged Police brutality, Godstime Akugbo, has called on the Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry to prevail on the Nigeria Police to release the corpse of the victim to enable members of the family give him a befitting burial.
This was even as the Commission may
extend its public sitting by a month to enable it attend to all the petitions brought before it.
The Commission was set up by Governor Nyesom Wike, to probe into
alleged acts of violence, torture, brutality, murder and violation of fundamental rights of citizens committed by officers, men and operatives
of the Nigeria Police Force in the state.
The seven-man panel, chaired by retired High Court Judge, Justice
Chukwunenye Uriri, which held it inaugural sitting on November 24, 2020,
was expected to conclude public sitting on December 30, 2020.
Daily Sun gathered that the extension on the commission’s public sitting may be the inability of the Inquiry to hear all the petitions brought before it within the initially approved period.
A source close to the commission said: “From the look of things, the Panel cannot conclude public
hearings on December 30, as earlier approved. There are still over 100
petitions that are yet to be attended to”.
Meanwhile, elder brother of Late Godstime, Michael Akugbo, had demanded for the sum of N50 million as compensation, for the death of the victim, who was arrested
by the men of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Nigeria Police on October
27, 2020, for alleged possession of Indian Hemp.
Michael said: “We want the Panel to help compel the Nigeria Police to release
my brother’s corpse to us. We also want the perpetrators of the heinous
crime against my brother to be brought to justice. Also, we want the
Nigeria Police to pay us compensation of N50 million”.
Ends.