Ugochukwu Iwuchukwu
The Nigeria Bar Association NBA has called for the resignation of the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Mustapha Danduara, and the Police Public Relations Officer Nnamdi Omoni for misinforming the public over the death of the late Ikokwu mechanic Chima Ikwunado.
Chima Ikwunado died in Police custody in December 2019 after he was arrested by the Eagle Crack Unit of the Police and was tortured to death.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Rivers State Nnamdi Omoni had earlier told reporters that Chima Ikwunado had died of high blood sugar while in Police detention but experts that conducted an autopsy on the late mechanic had proved otherwise.
The Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association NBA, Port Harcourt Branch, Sylvester Adaka, during a press briefing in Port Harcourt called for the resignation of the top Police hierarchy in the state because they have lost public confidence.
Also Read: Police prosecute professional phone snatching syndicate in Port Harcourt
Sylvester Adaka said the inability of the Police to conduct thorough investigations is the cause of the problem.
“At this point, when even the Police Pathologists and other Pathologists at the beginning of the autopsy has said that there was no autopsy conducted on the body before. And then I don’t know where Nnamdi Omoni and his Commissioner of Police and the Commander of the Eagle Crack Squad found the autopsy that said that Chima Ikwundao died of high sugar, I don’t know whether they conducted the autopsy themselves.
“Honestly, in any reasonable society, at this point the Police PRO in Rivers State, the Commander of Eagle Crack Squad and the Commissioner of Police Rivers State should resign. They should honourably resign. Because now with this case, how do we want to believe whatever any other Policeman tells us. It is sad”.
Sylvester Adaka also condemned the attack on Justice Mary Odili’s house in Abuja.
He said the attack is an attempt to intimidate judges who are doing their legal work.
Adaka noted that the current trend of protesting Supreme Court judgments is a bad omen for democracy in Nigeria.
The Chairman of NBA Port Harcourt branch also called on security agencies to investigate and bring to book all those involved in attacking the house of Justice Mary Odili.
He appealed to Nigerians to accept Supreme Court judgments in good faith.
