Seven years after the alleged extra-judicial killing of Ibrahim Momodu by the police in Benin City, Edo State, family of the victim has raised concerns over the whereabouts of the principal suspect in the matter.

They believe that the suspect might have been freed during the recent jailbreak in Benin City. Ibrahim Momodu, who was until his death a 400 Level student in the Science Laboratory Technology Department of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), was in 2013 allegedly shot by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Ogida Police Station, Mrs. Carol Afegbai, and buried in a shallow grave.

But the Edo police command had claimed that the deceased was an armed robber, who was shot at a crime scene close to his residence.

Counsel to the bereaved family, Jefferson Uwoghiren, in a petition to the Edo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry into the activities of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) demanded public apology from the police for defaming her client as parents of armed robbers and criminals.

The petition is entitled ‘Extra-judicial killing of Mr. Ibrahim Momodu: Urgent request to invite, investigate and prosecute one Mrs. Carol Afegbai, a Chief Superintendent of Police and others now at large for complicity and conspiracy to murder, obstruction of justice and conducts prejudicial to public peace’.

Uwoghiren also sought the arrest and prosecution of the police officers who were on duty and present during the killing of Momodu, for complicity and demanded N50 million compensation for loss of affection, emotional distress and grave injustice done to his client by agents of government, who swore to protect lives and properties.

Other reliefs sought by the bereaved family include the renaming of the Administrative Block at Ogida Police Station, Benin City, after Ibrahim Momodu.

“We demand the renaming of the adjourning road to Ogida Police Station as Ibrahim Momodu Street. We further demand the naming of the street within our court premises in Edo State after Legal Practitioners working pro bono to abate extra-judicial killings, to encourage access to justice for the poor and vulnerable.”

The victim, according to police sources, had pulled out a Russian-made double barrel gun, but policemen responded swiftly and shot at him, and he died on his way to hospital.

Uwoghiren, who disagreed with the police over the incident, said on May 27, 2013, at Obayuwana Junction, along Siluko Road, Benin City, one Mr. Amadin Idahosa, a police corporal and orderly to then CSP Carol Afegbai, about 7p.m., without provocation, legal justification, illegally and wrongly shot and killed Mr. Momodu, and subsequently, in attempts to cover up, buried him in a shallow grave in a public cemetery in Benin City.

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