Rights group, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has condemned the extrajudicial killing of Mr. Onyeka Emmanuel Ibeh (31) by a Police Inspector identified as Obi Ebri who is attached to the Area Command, Asaba.
The 31-year-old Ibeh was shot on Wednesday inside the car with his pregnant wife watching around Ugbolu Area in Asaba.
The incident occurred at a Stop and Search operation by some policemen along Ugbolu-Illah Road, Oshimili North LGA, Delta State.
Youths in Delta state had marched to the Police headquarters, Delta Command and Government House in protest over the killing.
The protesters paraded some of the streets of Asaba with the corpse of the deceased Ibeh popularly known as Onyi in Ogbogonogo market in Asaba.
In reaction to the development on Thursday, the Executive Director, RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma called for prompt, impartial and effective investigation into the reckless shooting, with a view to ensuring justice.
Nwanguma worried that despite the incidence of 2020 where Nigerian youths took over the streets for weeks in protest against police brutality and the subsequent promises that ensued, the police can still be caught in such mess.
“RULAAC is shocked that after the events of #EndSARS in October 2020 and its aftermath, a police officer could still engage in such reckless abuse of firearms and abuse of police authority, to kill a fellow citizen for refusing to pay bribe of one hundred Naira at a checkpoint,” Nwanguma worried.
The group while appreciating the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Muhammed Ali for wading into the matter, said the Police must use the case to show that it stands for equity and justice.
They said; “RULAAC commends the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Muhammed Ali, for his prompt action in ordering the detention and prosecution of the Police Inspector and urges the CP to ensure a speedy and transparent disciplinary procedure that will lead to substantial justice.
“This is necessary to create deterrence and to send a loud and clear message that impunity can no longer be tolerated by the NPF.
“RULAAC conveys its condolences to the family members of the victim.”
Recall that the State Commissioner of police, Ari Muhammad Ali had following the protest, calmed the youths down and invited the relatives of the deceased and some youths into his office where he addressed them.
