Delta Govt Guard Dies In Police Custody In Asaba As Deceased Family Demand Justice

Ogodobiri holding his new born baby

A security guard attached to the Ministry of Oil and Gas in Delta state simply identified as Ogodobiri Ebifemene has died in a  mysterious circumstances at the police "A" Division in Asaba, the state capital.

The victim's family who alleged the deceased was killed and are seeking for justice over the death however accused two police officers for the alleged murder over the victim's failure to offer a bribe of N100,000 demanded as his bail bond.

Bigpenreports learnt that the deceased was allegedly arrested on the order of the State Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Mofe Pirah over a missing laptop at his office but was said to have died in a questionable circumstances allegedly after undergoing severe torture by policemen.

Family sources alleged the deceased may have been allegedly strangle to death by the policemen following his purported failure to meet up with N100,000 bail money demanded from him by two police officers at "A" Division in Asaba.

In a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase on behalf of the deceased family signed by Cletus Kwalekeme and made available to  Bigpenreports on Tuesday, the family said that the deceased was allegedly killed over allegations of theft levelled against him at the state Ministry of Oil and Gas of which he was arrested few weeks ago.

The petitioners who gave a graphic account of the incident alleged that the District Crime Officer ( DCO1) simply identified as DSP, Arvhi Atairo and one Police Inspector, identified as Onwuegbuzie Simon in "A" Division Asaba station, capital of Delta state had strangulated Mr. Ogodobiri Ebifemene who was arrested over a missing laptop in his working place.

Ogodobiri's wife and kids

‘‘We wish to formally report the killing of (Mr Ogodobiri Ebifemene) a watch man married with 4-kids, attached to the Ministry of Oil and Gas, Delta state that was arrested on Tuesday 17th November, 2015 around 10: am by the Police (A-Division Asaba) Delta State with other suspects in respect of a missing laptop in the office of SA to the Hon. Commissioner.

"He was made to remain in police custody for four days while others were released immediately.

‘‘We approached the Investigating Police Officer (Inspector Onwuegbuzie Simon) from the first day of the arrest to secure his release but to no avail rather he requested for one hundred thousand naira (N100,000).

"Thereafter, the IPO referred us to the DCO-1 for necessary approval for the bail but still to no avail.

"To our greatest surprise the DCO-1 also maintained in requesting for the same one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) the IPO had earlier requested.

"The DCO-1 added that the negative experience he had when he was DPO Burutu was instrumental to his insistence to collect the N100,000 as way of revenging to Burutu people.

" We pleaded with him to accept the sum of ten thousand naira (N10,000) to enable us bail him but he refused all plea and asked that we provide the said one hundred thousand naira (N100, 000.00) without which he would be charge him to Court.

The petitioners said that all effort by them to make a further entreaties to the DPO were thwarted by the DCO-1 who claimed that seeing the DPO would aggravate the case, while claiming that the DPO had handover the case to him before his purported transferred.

‘‘In order not to allow my nephew to continually suffer in the unlawful detention, we sought the fund and went to the Police Station on 20th Nov 2015 at 7: 34am to perfect the bail but we could not find him and nobody was ready to disclose his where about to us.

"Sensing that something was amiss and when they saw that we were not comfortable, a Police Officer told one of us that my nephew was sick in the night and was rushed to the Hospital for Medical attention and died in the process.

"But I know the sudden death was a connivance between the Ministry of Oil & Gas and Police to conceal the unlawful killing of the said young man.

‘‘I want to sincerely aver that my nephew Mr. Ogodobiri Ebifemene was strangled to death by the DCO-1 and the IPO.

The bereaved family member however appealed to the police authorities to investigate the issue with a view of bringing the perpetrators to book.

"Therefore, we are calling on the Police Authority to investigate the issue with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book to avert the looming crisis that may arise due to the unlawful killing of the young man and to also checkmate the essences of police officers in the state.

But state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Celestine Kalu, who spoke to Bigpenreports in a telephone conversation denied the allegations of alleged extra-judicial murder by the police saying that the victim among others were arrested over alleged breaking and entry at the State's Oil and Gas Ministry but fell sick while in police custody and was rushed to the police clinic where he was certified to have died.

She said further investigation have commenced in the case, adding that only an autopsy would confirmed the true cause of death.

Meanwhile, aggrieved Ijaws youths had on Monday stormed the office of the Commissioner incharge of Oil and Gas to express their readiness to revenge the alleged extra-judicial murder by the police.