Metro
Policemen Allegedly Beat Delta Resident To Death, Extort N150,000 From Him Before His Demise
Officers of the Nigerian Police Force have allegedly tortured a Nigerian man to death with their rifle in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
According to a report by SaharaReporters, it was learnt that the victim, Okediachi Emeka, lost his life after being hit with a gun by the police personnel.
The family of the deceased told SaharaReporters on on Saturday that the incident happened at the Ogbe-Osowe quarters in Asaba.
His brother, Okediachi Desmond, narated the incident to SaharaReporters.
“The Nigerian police hit his head with a gun, they killed my brother” he lamented.
“On the 14th of November at about 12am to 1am, they were coming from Chronicles hotel, very close to Slot. They saw men who were not wearing uniform who stopped them but they didn’t stop because they thought they were kidnappers.
“My brother, his friend and his girlfriend who were in the car ran to a spot where the police cornered them. They started shooting sporadically and started beating them. My brother’s girlfriend ran into her own house because where they ran to was close to her house.”
“People who wanted to help them could not because of the sporadic shooting and because the police used wood on them. So no one could help them.
“I didn’t know what happened till the next morning. I saw him with a bandaged head and when I asked him what happened, he told me that he was hit in the head with a gun by police officers. The officers after doing this took him to hospital and got his head bandaged. They took his phone too..
“They came back in the morning and asked him to do a video that he hit his head on the wall while running from the police and that’s how he injured himself. They also collected N150,000 from him.”
“When I heard, I was angry and followed him to the police headquarters in Asaba. When we got there he showed me the person that hit him on the head and during the melee, they took him upstairs and I stayed downstairs.
“The police said we should be thankful that at least he was not killled and instead we should take him to hospital for treatment.
“When we took him to hospital at some point, he wouldn’t talk well and we were told that he damaged his jaw when the police officers were beating him. At some point he complained of back pain and we tried treating him.
“My mum called me after some days and said he was jerking, we took him to one hospital and they rejected him, it was at the second hospital that they pronounced him dead.”
He stated that the claims that his brother hit his head on the wall was false.
“I have pictures to show that he was hit in the head and he didn’t hit his head on the wall”.
When contacted, the Delta State Police Spokesperson, Bright Edafe denied that Emeka was hit with a gun, stating that he hit his head on the wall.
“On the 14th of November 2024 at about 0100 hours, the command received a distress call from a concerned citizen that there were some suspicious-looking persons around DBS road.”
“Operatives of the command were detailed to move to the scene, and the operatives who were at that time along Nnebisi Road proceeded to the scene. On their way, they sighted a Venza SUV with reg. No GWK-646-FF but the occupants of the vehicle on noticing there were policemen zoomed off.
“The operatives who were already acting on a distress call suspected the Venza Vehicle hence they went after them. They chased them to a compound along Nnebisi axis. The passengers alighted and were running in a bid to escape from the police.
“The driver was arrested immediately while the deceased initially escaped. A few minutes later right there at the scene, the suspect came out with blood on his head and stated that he hit his head on a wall. The police swiftly took him to the hospital and paid for his medical bill. At about 0500 hours of the same date, the deceased was brought to the Police headquarters where statements were recorded and the deceased stated in his statement that he hit his head on a wall fence while running away from the police.”
He however noted that the Commissioner of Police in the state had ordered investigation into circumstances surrounding the incident:
“The Commissioner of Police has however ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police State Criminal Investigation department to take over the case and ensure that a thorough investigation is carried out.”
“The CP while condoling the family of the deceased assures them that no stone will be left unturned and that if the operatives are found culpable, they will be made to face the law.”
There have been concerns over police brutality and extra-judicial activities which on a number of occasions have led to loss of lives.
Five soldiers and six terrorists died in a firefight between troops of the Nigerian Army and members of the Lakurawa terrorists in the Gudu LGA of Sokoto state.
Abubakar Abdullahi, the coordinator of the joint media coordination centre for operation Fansan Yamma, in a statement issued on Thursday, said the operation was carried out by the troops of the defence headquarters special operations brigade.
“On Jan 11, the troops of defence headquarters special operations brigade conducted a coordinated offensive operation against Lakurawa terrorists and made contact in Gudu local government area of Sokoto state,” the statement reads.
“Despite this success, the operation came at a heavy cost, as five gallant soldiers tragically lost their lives in the line of duty.”
Abdullahi added that the troops recovered four AK-47 rifles, 160 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and a box of 12.7mm ammunition during the operation.
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and observant in their communities while advising them to report any suspicious activity to security agencies.
“Public cooperation is crucial for protecting lives and maintaining peace in our communities,” he added.
One year after the devastating explosion in the Bodija area of Ibadan, affected residents are still awaiting the compensation they were promised. During an interdenominational service held to mark the anniversary of the tragedy, Pastor Muyiwa Bamgbose, President of the Bodija Estate Residents’ Association (BERA), expressed the community’s ongoing struggles, with many families still displaced and properties left in ruins.
Pastor Bamgbose highlighted that several homes remain uninhabitable, overgrown with weeds and abandoned. The service, which took place at the Bodija Estate Baptist Church, was organized by BERA in partnership with the Dejo Oyelese Vigilante Group (DOVG) to honor the five residents who lost their lives in the explosion.
The deceased were identified as Mr. Fimihan Fagbemi, Mr. Toluwalase Kehinde, Mr. Ladipo Azeez Oyebamiji, Mrs. Agnus Bolanle Badmus, and Mr. Bolu Adebiyi. The explosion also left over 70 people injured and caused severe damage to more than 200 houses, leaving a permanent scar on the community.
Pastor Bamgbose called for justice for the victims and more support from authorities. He urged residents to use the tragedy as a catalyst to foster unity and resilience within the community.
Gunmen have shot dead a final-year student of the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osura, in the early hours of Wednesday in the Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area.
The victim, identified as Prince, a Computer Science student awaiting mobilisation for the compulsory National Youth Service Corps, was killed in front of his girlfriend in his room along Abuja Street, Ikot Osurua community.
A source within the polytechnic community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that the gunmen gained entry into the compound around 1 am and moved directly to the victim’s room, where they shot him in the stomach.
The source said the victim’s girlfriend immediately raised the alarm, drawing the attention of neighbours who rushed to the scene.
The victim was swiftly taken to a hospital but was confirmed dead on arrival.
“The gunmen didn’t steal anything or rob anyone in the compound. They just shot him and escaped,” the source revealed.
The source further recalled seeing the victim just hours before the attack.
He added, “I met him yesterday around 4 pm with his girlfriend. They were both wearing facemasks, and we joked about their appearance. He was a popular figure in the neighbourhood and an active member of his church’s choral group. We are all in shock over his death.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Timfon John, confirmed the incident but stated that the attack might be linked to both robbery and cult activities in the area.
“Information we have indicates that there was a robbery and cult-related operation in the vicinity. The assailants invaded the area and shot the student during the robbery. An investigation is ongoing,” John said.
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