By Ozioruva Aliu – Benin City
As the Edo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry begins sitting today, the family of Ibrahim Momodu, an undergraduate of the University of Benin who was killed by the police on May 27th, 2013 has petitioned the panel asking for compensation from the authorities.
A letter through their lawyer, Jefferson Uwoghiren also wants the panel to invite the senior police officer, Carol Afegbai the then Divisional Police Officer of Ogida Police Station, and all other policemen on duty on the day of the incident to explain their roles in the saga.
Momodu was allegedly shot and killed on the allegation that he did not stop when police while on patrol ordered him to stop and that he was allegedly in possession of a gun and that the police shot him in self-defense.
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He was buried in a public cemetery without informing his family. The development generated outcry which led to the body being exhumed and one of the policemen was later sentenced to life imprisonment.
In the petition dated 27th October 2020, the family is demanding N50m as compensation to the family, a public apology from the Nigeria Police for defaming the parents of Momodu who they described as the parents of an armed robber.
They are also demanding “the renaming of the Administrative Block at Ogida Police Station, Benin City, after Mr. Ibrahim Momodu.
“We further demand the renaming of the adjourning road to Ogida Police Station as Ibrahim Momodu Street by the Police authority.
“We demand the naming of Street within our Court premises, in Edo State after Legal Practitioners working Pro Bono, to abate extra Judicial killings, to encourage access to justice for the poor and vulnerable.”
They also demanded the whereabouts of the policeman sentenced to life imprisonment in the wake of the recent jailbreak in Benin City.
