Brave Dickson
The Rivers State branch of the Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO) has set up a team of legal experts to prosecute trigger-happy security agents who will unlawfully kill any residents of the state.
The CLO said it is time to end the wasting of innocent lives by security agents, adding that the civil group will start prosecuting security agents for extra-judicial killings.
The state chairman of the group, Clifford Solomon who revealed this to our correspondent said “the killing of innocent residents of the state by security personnel under the guise of accidental discharge is one too many which must stop forthwith.
“The setting up of a prosecuting team is to tell security agents that enough is enough and that we are ready to start prosecuting trigger-happy security agents in the state.”
The folks who have been victims of extra-judicial killings in the state were commercial bus, taxi, tricycle operators, artisans and mobile sellers among others.
In some cases, the matters were swept under the carpet while only a few cases which generated strong public outcry for justice reached the conviction stage in court.
The task force established by the state government on illegal street trading and motor parks had also been involved in extra-judicial killings when NSCDC personnel attached to the task force shot and killed a commercial bus driver, Christian Otene along Ada George Road in June 2021.
The father, Godwin Otene of the slain bus driver who had since been buried narrated that his son was on his lawful commercial bus business when the state taskforce’ vehicle intercepted him over allegations of wrong parking.
“While my son was explaining to the taskforce personnel that he did not violate the rules of wrong parking, a taskforce member brought out an axe to hit his head.
“My son held the axe and other taskforce members started dragging him.
As he (my son) attempted to resist them, personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps attached to the task force shot my son to death.”
