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Police Brutality: “I Have Not Seen My Son Since 2011”, Father Of Deceased Tells Panel

Published

5 years ago

November 5, 2020

… Another Narrates How Police Brutality Left Him Deaf

The Edo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry for victims of human rights abuse by men of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, yesterday, began hearing on petitions with an officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Isaac Edoh, who is yet to know the state of his son, whether dead or alive.

As of November 5, the panel has received 24 petitions.

Isaac, who is from Benue State said the last time he saw his son, Baba Edoh, was inside a custody of the Edo State Police command in 2011.

Narrating his story to the panel in Benin City, the Benue-born said his son was an undergraduate of English Literature, Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto before he was allegedly killed by the police.

The father of the deceased said in June 2011, he received an anonymous call from the State Criminal Investigation Department of Edo State Police command that his son was arrested along Auchi road for alleged kidnapping.

Isaac said he immediately took permission from his superior at the office and rushed from Lagos to Benin to see his son but saw him lying in his pool of blood obviously from physical assault and inhuman treatment melted on him.

“I tried speaking with him but was prevented by officers on duties despite knowledge of the relationship between me and the suspect in their custody,” he said.

The Custom officer said the following day he visited the station and discovered that the name of his son was not on any of the records of the detainees in the cell.

“I immediately contacted the officer-in-charge of kidnapping section who informed that my son was not in their custody. I was informed that he was one of the suspects paraded in a national television on June 4, 2011.

“I was told armed robbers attacked and shot my son while the police was conducting further investigations in Auchi. None of the Police officers sustained injuries. The only person they said died was my son. Since his death, the police have refused to release the corps.

“I later filed a suit in the high court for fundamental rights, and got judgement but unfortunately the police appealed the case on the basis of identity conflict. The court of appeal urged us to return to the high court for retrial. Since then I have been demoralised, and don’t know whether he is alive or dead; all I want is justice,” he said.

The chairman of the panel, Justice Ada Ehigiamusoe (Rtd), admitted a photograph of the son, Compact Disk(CD) of paraded suspects, and court proceedings as exhibits.

The Justice adjourned hearing on the case to Thursday, November 17, so as to get response from the police officers.

In a related development, another victim of human rights abuse, Sunday Akpan told the panel that he was smacked repeatedly on his ear by a police officer for allegedly selling his wife’s refrigerator and shop to pay debt.

Speaking to journalists through his counsel, Festus Obijeko, said the victim is facing hearing difficulties due to the assault he received from the officer.

He added that his client’s condition has made it difficult to fend for his family.

“He was told that the said officer died in the line of duty and that the command will get back to him, that was sometime February this year. Since that time till this moment, they have not gotten back to him.

“In a civil domestic matter has broken the marriage and as I am talking with you now, himself and his wife are not together again, the children are not in school, the children are not well fed, that psychological coverage that family should offer to his children has been missing”, he said.

The chairman of the panel, Justice Ada Ehigiamusoe (Rtd) assured the victims of police brutality that the panel would be balanced and thorough in their job and would not rely on the account of one party to make their judgement but would also invite the police to give their own side of the story.

Justice Ehigiamusoe said the panel is not to indict anyone but could only make recommendations to the government on how the victims of police brutality could be compensated at the end.

News

JUST IN: Tinubu Decorates New Service Chiefs

Published

17 hours ago

October 30, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday decorated the new service chiefs with their respective ranks at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The ceremony, which began shortly after 2pm saw the President perform the decoration alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima and the spouses of the decorated officers, each dressed in their respective service uniforms.

Those decorated were General Olufemi Oluyede as the Chief of Defence Staff; Lieutenant-General Wahidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff; Air Marshal Kennedy Aneke as Chief of Air Staff; and Vice Admiral Idi Abbas and Chief of Naval Staff.

The Senate had, on Wednesday, confirmed the four nominees after a two-hour closed-door screening session where they were grilled on strategies to strengthen national security and improve coordination among the armed forces.

Tinubu had earlier written the red chamber, seeking an expedited confirmation process “to ensure continuity in the nation’s security leadership.”

It was observed that the ceremony was attended by senior government officials, lawmakers family members of the service chiefs and top officers from the various arms of the military.

The President, Vice President and the officers’ spouses took turns pinning the new ranks on each of the decorated chiefs.

The decoration came barely one week after the Presidency announced a sweeping reshuffle in the military hierarchy.

In the statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, it said the shake-up was part of efforts to inject new direction into the nation’s defence architecture.

The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General E. A. P. Undiendeye, retained his position.

Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, later told our correspondent that the changes were not connected to recent rumours of a coup plot, saying, “The President acted within his authority as Commander-in-Chief. Service chiefs can be hired and fired by the President.”

On Monday, Tinubu had met privately with the new service chiefs at the Villa.

They arrived in a black Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van escorted by a green Toyota Land Cruiser, and the session lasted about 40 minutes.

Presidency sources said the President charged them to take decisive action against insurgents and bandits, particularly in the North.

Last Friday’s reshuffle followed an October 19 report alleging that some officers were plotting to overthrow the government — a claim later dismissed by the Defence Headquarters as “false and mischievous.”

The Director of Defence Information, Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, said the alleged arrests linked to a coup were “issues of indiscipline” within the ranks, describing the report as “intended to cause unnecessary tension and distrust among the populace.”

News

JUST IN: Eurozone Growth Beats Expectations In Third Quarter

Published

21 hours ago

October 30, 2025

Editor

The eurozone economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter of 2025, official data showed Thursday.

The EU’s data agency said the 20-country single currency area recorded growth of 0.2 per cent over the July-September period from the previous quarter.

The figure was higher than the 0.1 per cent forecast by analysts for Bloomberg and FactSet.

More details later…

News

PHOTOS: Police Inspector, Others Die In Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Multiple-truck Crash

Published

21 hours ago

October 30, 2025

Editor

At least four persons were feared dead while several others sustained injuries in a multiple-vehicle crash involving five articulated trucks on Kara Bridge, inward Mowe, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Thursday.

A police inspector attached to the Lagos State Police Command was said to be among the victims.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, who confirmed the incident on Thursday during a visit to the scene, said emergency response teams worked through the early hours to rescue victims and clear the wreckage.

“We have a case of multiple accidents at the border between Ogun and Lagos State. Five vehicles were involved, all articulated vehicles. Precisely, three people have been rescued from the scene of the accident.

“As early as 5 a.m., we have been on it, and we have other agencies here assisting us. We have LASTMA, the Road Safety Corps, and other security agencies,” Ishola said.

He explained that preliminary investigations showed the crash was caused by a trailer that suffered brake failure.

“At the beginning, we have a trailer that failed to brake, and it is important that everybody in charge of their vehicle ensures proper maintenance,” he stated.

The commissioner also confirmed the death of one of his officers who was part of the police advance team deployed to the scene.

“It’s very unfortunate that we lost one of our police inspectors who came with our advance team to salvage the situation,” he said.

Ishola cautioned motorists, particularly drivers of articulated vehicles, against reckless driving, which he described as a leading cause of fatal crashes on highways.

“We want road users, especially those driving articulated vehicles, to stop this kind of recklessness. If they are not reckless in their driving habit, we won’t have this kind of accident,” he warned.

Rescue operations involving the police, Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, and other agencies were still ongoing as of press time, while efforts to remove the damaged vehicles and restore traffic flow continued.