16th June 2013 THE CHAIRMAN, THE POLICE SERVICE COMMISSION, FEDERAL SECRETARIAT PHASE 1, MAITAMA, ABUJA. Dear Sir, RE: INVESTIGATION ON OLAITAN OYERINDE’S MURDER AND MANY OTHERS; REQUEST FOR AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW CASE Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) is a coalition of over hundred and fifty Anti- corruption organizations whose primary aim is to constructively combat corruption vigorously and to ensure the effective monitoring of the various Anti-graft agencies in the fight against corruption and contribute towards the enthronement of transparency, accountability, probity, and total commitment in the fight to eradicate corruption in Nigeria. We refer to Federal Government and Inspector General of Police’s directive to the Nigeria Police for a thorough investigation into the direct and/or remote causes in the murder of Mr. Olaitan Oyerinde. Mr. Oyerinde was mowed down in cold blood on Friday May 4th 2012 at his residence in Benin City, Edo State by yet-to-be-known assassins. Until his death, Mr. Oyerinde was the Principal Private Secretary to Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole. There are several allegations and conspiracy theories with regard to the murder; from rival parties’ accusation, to the detention of Mr. David Ugolor, an activist, who was alleged, through confessional statements of suspects arrested by the Police in the course of investigation, of sponsoring the murder. In recent developments, Saharareporters posted on May 14th 2013, a report, captioned “Oyerinde Assassination Saga: Fresh Evidence Points at Police Complicity”, the report stated that 3 of the suspects namely Garba Maisari, Danjuma Musa and Moses Asamah Okoro have maintained that they were put under intense pressure, torture, threats of death and actual shooting to admit to the murder of Mr. Oyerinde and also incriminate Rev. David Ugolor. The suspects stated during a House of Representative Public Hearing that they had never met nor spoken with Mr. Ugolor until his arrest and detention in same cell with them. The suspect further stated that the confessional statements were drafted by the Police, who forced them to thumbprint the statements without an opportunity of their reading the contents. One of the suspects further stated that in a bid to enforce their implication of Mr. David Ugolor, the police officer shot him with a life bullet. It is becoming an unabated worrisome development for the police saddled with the mandate of securing and protecting citizens is the very same agency accused of complicity in shoddy investigation of crimes and criminal implication of innocent citizens. This is not the first time police officers are accused of extracting confessional statements from suspects under duress and through threats or deliberately implicating suspects for corrupt benefits. Sir, a Magistrate Court in Benin has acquitted Mr. Ugolor him on grounds of lack of evidence and awarded him N5 million Naira damages. This is not always the case as countless number of innocent victims languishes in police prisons/cells on falsified evidence, shoddy investigation and deliberate incrimination. While in the process of compiling this petition for submission to your commission, murder of a 500-level student of the University of Benin, Ibrahim Momodu, by Divisional Police Officer of Ogida Police Station, Carol Afegbai was announced. Mr. Momodu was shot, on the chest, dead at night while returning home after allegedly resisting police stop-and-search. His corpse was allegedly buried by the police the following day. This burial was hurriedly done by the DPO and her officers without medical autopsy, recourse to any medical institution or contact with family of the deceased. Obviously, to cover up the heinous act of police recklessness that is synonymous with police operations across the country. With the grievous impacts of blatant abuses of rights of citizens in the hands of the Nigeria Police, it is high time a stop is put to this arbitrariness and extra-judicial killings, through the effective discharge of statutory responsibilities of your Commission. It would be recalled that the Boko Haram crisis, currently threatening the existence of our country and claiming the lives of many innocent people was aggravated with the extra-judicial killings of the Police. We therefore implore the Commission to use its office to undertake independent investigation of these allegations and other extra judicial killings and carry out such measures in accordance with the powers granted to it under S 6(1)(b) of the Police Service Commission (Establishment etc.) Act of 2001. We look forward to your anticipated prompt action on this matter. Sincerely, Olanrewaju Suraju Chairman
Posted on: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:49:21 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015