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.
Ma’ana was reportedly attacked between Saganuwa and Fujeregi by a group led by the woman’s ex-husband, identified as Alhaji Yikangi, from Yikangi Chikan village.
Residents told Daily Trust that the ex-husband had divorced the woman, Fatima Suleiman, three times but insisted she must not remarry—even after she found a new suitor.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident.
He said, “On 17/4/2025 around 2pm, information was received that a group of people led by one Alh. Yikangi of Chikan village via Lemu attacked one Muhammad Ma’aba of Fujeregi village, both in the same Gbako LGA.
“The victim was reportedly beaten into a coma over a misunderstanding involving one Fatima Suleiman of the same address. He died on the way to Lemu General Hospital, where he was confirmed dead.”
Abiodun added that the incident is under investigation and efforts are ongoing to apprehend the perpetrators.
At least 17 people have been confirmed dead following coordinated attacks by suspected militia groups in the Sankera axis of Benue State, according to the police.
The violence, which occurred in Gbagir (Ukum Local Government Area) and Logo LGA, marks the latest in a series of deadly assaults that have plagued the state over the past decade.
Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, Sewuese Anene, stated in a Friday release that security forces engaged the attackers after receiving reports of a large-scale invasion in the Sankera region.
According to the police, five victims were killed in Gbagir before officers intervened, while another 12 were fatally shot in a simultaneous assault in Logo. The total death toll from the attacks now stands at 17.
Security operatives are reportedly pursuing the assailants as they retreat toward forested areas near Taraba State.
The attacks have sparked unverified claims on social media, including allegations that over 100 people were killed by suspected herdsmen. The police have cautioned the public against spreading unconfirmed reports, urging restraint to prevent further tension.
Benue State Commissioner of Police, Steve Yabanet, reiterated the command’s commitment to combating the violence and called for continued cooperation from residents.
The latest killings come just days after suspected herdsmen launched separate attacks on three communities in Otukpo LGA—Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju—where five people were killed in February.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, who confirmed the arrest of three suspects linked to Tuesday’s attack in Otobi, condemned the violence and warned against vigilante retaliation. He assured residents of ongoing collaboration with federal security agencies to curb further bloodshed.
Authorities have urged citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security forces as operations continue in the affected areas.
Three persons, two confirmed to be from the same family, are feared drowned in a boat mishap in Niger State.
The incident occured in Lapai Local Government Area of the state.
Vanguard gathered that the boat was overloaded with over 200 bags of rice and capsized about 9p.m., on the fateful day as a result of heavy windstorm.
While some claimed that many people drowned during the incident, a source confirmed that only three persons travelled in the boat because the boat was already overloaded and that they all drowned.
It was further gathered that the bags of rice were purchased in Lapai council and were being ferried to Lokoja, Kogi State for sale.
The source said: “The boat was overloaded with bags of rice from our area-Lapai thereby occupying all available spaces in the canoe. Two of those who went on the journey are of the same parents and believed to have most of the bags of rice being transported for sale.
“The bags of rice are more than 200 and the storm which started on their way must have also contributed to the sudden accident.”
Public Relations Officer, Niger State Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA, Hussaini Ibrahim, when contacted said the agency was yet to get details of the incident and promised to issue a statement later.
Corpses of those feared dead were yet to be recovered at press time.
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