Nigerian Police demand N20m compensation for CSP who was murdered on duty
The Nigerian Police Force, NPF, on Thursday, urged the Independent Investigative Panel on human rights violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, sitting in Abuja, to award N20million compensation to the family of one of the officers it said was murdered in Anambra State.
Police, through its lawyer, Mr Fidelis Ogwobe, told the panel which is headed by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Suleiman Galadima, that the late officer, Akor Ude, who was a Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, was killed at Odekpe Community when he went for a peacekeeping operation.
It alleged that there was evidence that he was murdered by members of the community.
Ogwobe told the panel that CSP Ude, who led a police team to the community, was apprehended and butchered by three persons whose identities were uncovered during investigation.
He contended that the family of the slain officer, who was their breadwinner, deserve the N20m compensation considering the circumstances that led to his untimely death.
Police made the demand after it opposed a petition alleging that its officers extra-judicially killed one Peter Ekwealor who was a member of the community.
While denying the allegation, Police, insisted that there was no evidence to prove Ekwealor’s cause of death.
It told the panel that members of late Ekwealor’s family and their counsel failed to respond to an invitation to be part of a proposed autopsy on the body of the deceased.
Ogwobe insisted that the real victim was the slain CSP and not Ekwealor whose cause of death he said was yet to be ascertained since autopsy was not conducted on his body.
He argued that instead of the panel to award monetary compensation to the Petitioners, it should be given to family of the deceased officer.
More so, the Police lawyer maintained that the Petitioners failed to prove their case of extra-judicial killing, beyond all reasonable doubt as required by the evidence Act.
Meanwhile, counsel to the Petitioners, Mr. B.C. Egwuatu, urged the panel to discountenance the request by l Police.
He told the panel that late Ekwealor was a victim of abuse of power and unlawful use of firearm which he said resulted in his death in Police custody.
He said the victim’s family was entitled to the N20m compensation.
According to him, late Ekwealor had 11 children who he said would find it difficult to feed and continue their education in the absence of their father who was the bread winner of the family.
Similarly, Egwuatu urged the panel to also award monetary compensation in favour of one Aboy Uduaga who he said was equally extra-judicially killed by a Police team that allegedly invaded Odekpe Community following a communal clash that involved a neighbouring Community called Ana.
Meantime, the panel, which was led on Thursday by Dr. Garba Tetengi, SAN, said it was surprised that Police would come up with the request for compensation since it did not lodge a counter petition before it.
In his observation also, one of the Panel members, John Aikpkpo Martins, recalled that the Panel was set up to investigate human right violations Police committed against citizens and not human rights violation suffered by the police.
However, he noted that since the Police have pointed out the alleged killing of CSP Ude, the panel, would look into it and decide on what to do in the interest of justice.
After all parties adopted their final written addresses, the matter was adjourned for report of the panel.
Cited as Respondents in the petition are CSP Danjuma Ocheje (Delta State Police Command), Personal of IGT IRT FHQ Abuja, Commissioner of Police FCT, Commissioner of Police Delta State, and Inspector General of Police.
