A widow and mother of four children, Mrs. Cecilia Oguzie, at the weekend, demanded N1billion as compensation at the Imo Judicial Panel of Inquiry into Police Brutality and Extra-Judicial Killings, presided over by Justice Florence Duruoha-Igwe (rtd).

Mrs. Oguzie had narrated to the panel at its 44th sitting how her husband, the late Jude Oguzie, was allegedly shot to death by some policemen at a checkpoint in Orodo, along Owerri-Orlu Road, Imo State, on his way to see his sick old mother in Amucha, Njaba Council of Imo State.

She also told the panel that the corpse of her late husband was yet to be released to the family for burial since December 5, 2020, the incident took place.

According to the petitioner, her husband on December 2020 was flagged down in his vehicle by the policemen and was asked to produce his vehicle particulars, which the deceased obliged, saying that in the process, one of the policemen shot her husband and they ran away, disclosing that he died before he could be taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri.

She, therefore, claimed N1 billion as compensation as a result, saying: “Police shot and killed my husband. I came here because I want to obtain justice. I have four children who no one is there to take care of. He was the only son of his surviving mother.”

MEANWHILE, in her reaction, Chairman of the panel, Duruoha-Igwe, decried the failure of the police authorities to produce the three policemen involved in the shooting allegation despite the summons by her panel.

She wondered why the Commissioner of Police in the state, Nasiru Mohammed, was yet to produce them to the panel. Duruoha-Igwe advised that the three arms of the government (Judiciary, Executive and Legislature) should work together for the enhancement of democracy.

She said: “If the commissioner of police knows that I can call him to account for his action, he can be careful.”

IN a related development, one Nichademus Durugo has explained to the panel how his son was allegedly shot dead in November 2019 by some soldiers serving at 34 Field Artillery Brigade, Obinze in Owerri West Local Council of Imo State but attached to Addax Oil facilities, in Izombe, Imo State.

In a petition filed by his counsel, Mazi Ibegbulam, he said that the deceased had attended a programme and was having some rest when the military officers accosted him and allegedly killed him.

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