A group, under the umbrella of Coalition of Joint Civil Society Action against Extra-Judicial killings, on Wednesday, asked the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to apologise to the family of late Ogah Jumbo who was murdered last month.
Mr. Jumbo, an Assistant Superintendent of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), was murdered in Nyanya, a suburb of Abuja by the men of the Nigeria Police, on Wednesday, 20th March 2019, in presence of his wife and kids.
At a peaceful rally organised by the coalition in Abuja on Wednesday, the group also faulted the Commandant General (CG) of Civil Defence, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, for playing down the death of one of his men.
The group, in a petition signed by Barr. Paul Edeh and Hajia Aisha Yesufu, also requested for the arrest and prosecution of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Nyanya division, Mr. Igbekele Ogunfemi, for complicity in the matter.
As the procession continued, the coalition also submitted copies of the petition at the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice; the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Assembly.
They argued that, contrary to the Police’s claim, Mr. Jumbo was not driving against the traffic, adding that, the Police Traffic wardens who beat him up also dragged him for about 100 metres into the Nyanya police station, where they finally beat him to death.
“Late ASC Ogah did not violate any traffic offence. It was men of the Nigeria Police who committed the act and not non-conventional Police men as alluded to by ACP Frank Mba.
“Late ASC Ogah did not drive himself to the Station. Late ASC Ogah did not slump when being interrogated but slumped during beating by men of the Nigerian Police.
“Till date, no identification parade has been carried out for the wife of late Ogah to identify other Police men involved in beating her husband to death. Only the two traffic wardens who started the beating were arrested by the Nigeria Police”, the group stated.
While requesting that the National Assembly, the AGF and the NHRC conduct independent investigations into the matter to bring the perpetrators to book, the group also called on the Acting Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, to personally visit the family of the murdered NSCDC officer as a way of condolences.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police have said the two Traffic Wardens involved in the beating of late Jumbo have been remanded in Kuje prison on Wednesday, after they were arraigned at Nyanya High Court, for culpable homicide.
The two Police officers, Idoko Sunday and Katdel Dabit, were said to be found guilty during an orderly-room trial conducted by the Force and had been dismissed, before their arraignment.
According to a statement on Wednesday signed by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) DCP Frank Mba, “Police investigations positively indicted them for assault and excessive use of force on the deceased after his arrest”.
Mba also contradicted his earlier statement of 21st March, 2019, wherein he suggested that Mr. Jumbo slumped and died after driving himself to the police station.
He admitted that the autopsy report earlier published by this newspaper was true, as Mr. Jumbo’s death was caused by the police officers on duty.
He said, “Forensic Analysis by a pathologist as seen in the autopsy report clearly traced the cause of death to injuries inflicted on the deceased during his encounter with the Traffic Wardens.
“For avoidance of doubt, the autopsy report states in part that the death; was due to blunt force injury to the head; multiple skin and soft tissue injuries on the fore head and face, and that, there was no natural disease in the body to sufficiently explain the sudden death”.
While regretting the action of the Police officers, Mr. Mba enjoined Nigerians not to lose faith in the Police Force, adding that, the Acting IGP has warned that, “any Police Officer found wanting for unlawful use of Force and other sundry offences, will be publicly named, shamed and brought to book to serve as deterrent to others”.