The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has been urged to probe the shooting and killing of a 15-year-old boy by the police, who later labeled him a robber.
The slain teenager was identified as Lovely Omoregie.
After he was killed, his five friends, who witnessed his murder, were arrested and also allegedly labelled armed robbers.
The call for the probe was made by the Network on Police Reform in Nigeria, which received the information about the killing in Benin, Edo State, from a law firm to the deceased.
According to NOPRIN’s National Coordinator, Okechukwu Nwanguma, B. A. Iluobe Law Firm, based in Benin City, Edo State, informed NOPRIN that on June, 5, 2014, at about 11am., six young persons were playing card game in front of their house at 20, Omoregie Street, off Upper Mission Extension, Ikpoba Hill, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria when the incident occurred.
The players were between the ages of 15 and 24.
Nwanguma said: “A team of policemen from the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Edo State Police Command drove into the compound and asked them why they were not in school at that time. They handcuffed the boys and later shot the 15-year-old Lovely Omoregie thrice and arrested the other five.”
It was further gathered that on June, 6, 2014, the Edo State Police Command obtained a warrant to bury him from a Coroner’s Court, after misinforming the Magistrate that the deceased was shot at a scene of robbery.
“On June, 7, 2014, the family ran to Iluobe Law Firm and the head of the chambers quickly called the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) on the phone number, 08123553839, and told him that the state would burn if Lovely Omoregie was buried as an armed robber,” narrated Nwanguma.
He further explained that the lawyer also called the State Commissioner of Police and also warned him to avoid problem by acquiescing to the secret burial of Lovely as an armed robber.
After the call, the CP ordered the arrest of the six police officers responsible for the brutal murder of the teenager.
The CP was said to have pleaded with the lawyer to see him in his office.
Barrister Iluobe however insisted that the five other boys in police custody should be released before he would come down to see the CP.
The CP was said to have promptly ordered their release.
Nwanguma said: “The lawyer proceeded to court on June, 9 and vide Ex parte motion got the Court to restrain the police from burying the murdered teenager and the hospital from releasing the corpse to the police, pending the determination of the motion on notice now fixed for July, 8. The police are offering monetary compensation to the family to discontinue the case.”
It will be recalled that in May 2013, the Edo State Police Command similarly shot dead one Ibrahim Momodu and buried his corpse overnight and claimed that he was an armed robber.
Again on November, 24, 2013, the same Edo State Police Command also summarily executed four well-known farmers in UTE Village, Benin City and labelled them armed robbers.
On February, 1, 2014, the Edo State Police Command killed a driver at Ikpoba slope.
And now, this present case of Lovely Omoregie.
“NOPRIN calls on the IGP to make a public statement concerning efforts by the police to address incessant killings by police officers across Nigeria, particularly police officers attached to SARS in all the states of the federation, but particularly, in recent times, Awkuzu, Anambra State, Edo State and Lagos State. NOPRIN has constantly drawn the IGP’s attention to these cases without any known response or action,” said Nwanguma.
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