By IGONIKO ODUMA

The Civil Liberties Orgainsation, Bayelsa State chapter, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate Committee on Human Rights to probe the alleged brutal killing of seven serving officers who were attached to the state Police Command.

The CLO also urged global human rights watchdog, Amnesty International, other rights groups and the media not to allow the incident be covered up.

At a press conference in Yenagoa on Tuesday, the state CLO chairman, Nengi James, and a human rights activist, Alagoa Morris, said the organisation was very worried over the silence on the killing of the victims, who were all family men.

They threatened that the CLO, “in the interest of the general good”, would sue the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and the police hierarchy for continually keeping quiet over the gruesome killing of the officers in controversial circumstances.

They identified six of the seven dead policemen as sergeants Hitler Mumbo, Dieyete Yoweigha, and Brown Abedinigo as well as Omoro Akpoe, Philip Seikpo and Oyanidine Ongogha, who were all police corporals.

The seven policemen, who were serving at the Bayelsa State Police Command, were said to have been shot dead two weeks ago at Ughelli in Delta State by the operatives of the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) for alleged involvement in armed robbery.

There were also reports that the slain officers were caught in gun sale deal which resulted in argument over sharing of the proceeds, resulting in their being attacked and shot dead.

Nengi said, “You will agree that Nigeria is going through serious security crisis before the raging coronavirus pandemic. In view of the current unprecedented security challenges facing Nigerians, it gives much more concern when uniformed personnel, in this case, policemen, are gunned down by fellow policemen in circumstances that have been shrouded by silence from the police authorities.

“Without making references to other continental and global instruments on human rights, the CLO draws ample strength from Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

“The chapter of the constitution deals with fundamental human rights and the right to life was recognised as number one. Close to the right to life, in the same chapter, is the right to fair hearing. And herein lies the crux of our gathering here.

“The CLO is interested, for the general good of all, in knowing the circumstances leading to the killing of seven serving policemen. Seeing photos of their lifeless bodies with rifles placed on them presents an unnatural situation.” (Daily Independent)

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