UNIBEN STUDENT’S KILLING: HUSBAND DEFENDS SUSPECTED TRIGGER-HAPPY DPO

RATHER than end, the controversy over the alleged killing of a 500-level student of the University of Benin by a suspected trigger-happy Policeman may have just begun.

Mr. Adams Afegbai, the husband of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Ogida station, Carol, cleared her of blames in the gruesome murder.

The woman DPO was alleged to have shot the late 22-year-old Laboratory Science student, Ibrahim Momodu on 27, May 2013.

But Mr. Afegbai yesterday insisted that his wife was not responsible for the murder.

Speaking to newsmen in Benin, Mr. Afegbai who is also a retired Police officer, appealed to the state government and the Police authorities to ensure that justice is done now that the case file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice.

He said, “What I expect of Police authorities and the state government to do in this case is justice. We want justice; they said the case has been forwarded to the DPP for advice, so, we want justice”.

 Afegbuai said further: “It is not true at all that my wife shot the boy. My wife as the DPO was on visiting rounds of her men on duty and she came there in her car, she was on top of the steering when she saw the police interrogating the rider of unregistered motor-cycle.

“Then, another boy was sitting as a passenger behind. My wife sitting in that car noticed that boy was working on a bag; he was opening the bag bringing out a gun, loading the gun. When my wife sighted the gun, my wife shouted to the Policemen, ‘this boy is carrying a gun.’ As she jumped down, a policeman shot at him.  My wife did not shoot at anybody”.

He pointed out that whatever that was done was in the matter was in self-defence, adding that “the suspects would have killed a policeman there.”

On the actions so far taken by police authorities and the state, he said: “I will not comment on the action of the state government but I know the Police have taken correct action although their action may have been very slow; maybe they did not brief the Comrade governor on time, I will not know.”

Source: Compass