The Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry into alleged brutality and violation of fundamental human rights of citizens by the operatives of the Nigeria police force has began its sitting after a four-day Christmas break.
Commencing its sitting at Obi Wali International Conference Centre, the commission entertained five petitions from victims of police brutality and adjoined five others brought before it by Ogbonna Ifediora, Festus Osiagu and others to 6th and 7th of January 2021.
Meanwhile, an iron wielder with Julius Berger PLC, Michael Okibo has accused the anti cultism unit of the Nigeria police force Rivers State command of killing his younger brother, GodsTime Okibo.
Okibo said his late brother died as a result of inhuman treatment and brutality meted out on him by operative of the anti cultism unit and appealed to the commission to prevail on the police authority to release his corpse for burial and fifty million naira compassion to be paid to the family.
According to him: “The police called me to ask me did I know so so person, I said yes, his my younger brother, they said he is in their custody that I should come to anti cultism office. By the time i got to anti cultism office that morning I saw my brother tied to his hand and leg. Mr. Bruce who was the IPO said I should bring money before they release my brother, I now left and came back the next day. I didn’t see him again until the 13th of September before they took me to meet their commander, CSP Ahiju before they told me that my brother is dead, they took me to UPTH where I saw my younger brother’s corpse. According to them, they said they caught him with Indian hem. That fateful day I went to see him at the police station when they tied my brothers hand behind his back and his legs were also tied, my brother asked me to help him that the torture there was too much that he was dying”
He also urged the commission which is on fact finding mission to investigate the matter to ensure that police officers that carried the heinous act were brought to Justice and serve as deterrent to others.
The commission struck out one petition brought before it by Miss Barina Paul and forty three others for want of jurisdiction.
