From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Edo State vis-a-vis Womenfest for Betterlife Initiative, the People’s Care And Advocacy Initiative and the Centre for Grassroot Development and Crime Prevention (CGDCP), has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Akali, and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Solomon Arase, to investigate death of one Erasmus.
The group said thaf 31-year-old Erasmus allegedly died due to torture while in the police custody.
This was contained in a statement signed by Osaro- Oniawu Jnr, National Coordinator Conflict Solution Advocacy for the coalition and made available to newsmen in Benin City.
Onaiwu said the ugly incident came to limelight when the mother of the deceased, cried out in one of the media stations in the country.
“The public’s attention was brought to this heinous occurrence, which was documented in full detail on Human Rights Radio Abuja on April 18, 2023, when the mother of the deceased, a widow, narrated her ordeal.
“We are thus informing the Police hierarchy that, based on the deceased mother’s oral evidence, and investigations conducted by our team, the deceased was also unfairly incarcerated and detained on fabricated charges and was never charged in court until his horrific murder at the hands of law enforcement personnel”, Onaiwu said.
He said, in view of the foregoing, they are urging the Nigerian Police Force and the Police Service Commission to investigate and prosecute any officer implicated in the ignominious death of the dead, and to bring justice to the bereaved family.
According to him, “Many incidents of “Erasmus” have been thrown under the rug in recent years, which is why we are treating this issue seriously in order to prevent a repetition.
“Nonetheless, as Civil Society practitioners, we are fully aware of the challenges of policing in Nigeria, which is why we are proposing a meeting with the new Chairman of the Police Service Commission and the Inspector General of Police to work out suitable modalities that will not only enhance but also ensure effective policing in accordance with human rights laws”.
He noted that, it is their demand that the Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission utilise their good offices to ensure appropriate and timely investigations of this particular matter and restore the people’s faith in a just and lawful policing system.