Benue family demands justice over extra- judicial killing of their son

The household of Peter Onminyi who was allegedly killed by men of the Operation Zenda Squad of the Benue State Police Command has cried retired for justice, demanding the merchandise of his corpse to the household for a decent burial according to Idoma accepted rites and custom.

The household besides seeks the merchandise of the items looted from their location and requests to beryllium allowed entree to their location that was sealed by the police.

Peter Onminyi, 23, who hailed from Ijigban territory successful Ado Local Government Area of Benue State was reportedly killed by constabulary astatine astir 8 p.m. connected May 19, 2024 erstwhile the information operatives allegedly invaded their residence located astatine Welfare Quarters Area of Makurdi, the authorities capital.

Speaking to newsmen successful Makurdi, connected Wednesday, the begetter of the deceased, Joseph Onminyi, a retired wellness idiosyncratic of the Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services, said that his lad was a implicit man who committed nary offence known to the household oregon the wide nationalist earlier constabulary came to the location to killed him.

Pa Onminyi, who was successful the institution of his 3 children, besides alleged that aft the policemen invaded the location and changeable his lad to death, they besides took his dormant body, looted immoderate of their location appliances and forcefully ejected the household retired of the house.

The septuagenarian narrated tearfully: “I americium Mr Joseph Onminyi, the begetter of the deceased, precocious Peter Onminyi, whom the constabulary changeable to decease connected the 19th May 2024 successful my ain location not adjacent outside.

“No crushed was fixed by the constabulary for their actions. They didn’t inquire oregon archer anybody astir the offence helium committed, alternatively they conscionable killed him portion helium was eating astatine the eating hall.

“They conscionable jumped done the obstruction of my location and aft entering the house, they started shooting sporadically and besides changeable astatine my lad who was eating astatine the eating table.

“Not lone that, aft shooting him, they took him distant and they evacuated each the location properties, including radio, refrigerator, washing machine, state cooker and cylinder arsenic good arsenic 2 motorcycles and each different things successful the house.

“I deliberation this enactment could beryllium seen and called equipped robbery due to the fact that they came unannounced and cipher was informed of what they came for. Whether they came to cheque thing oregon they came to analyse anyone, they didn’t accidental anything, alternatively they changeable and killed my guiltless child.

“After sidesplitting him, the constabulary inactive took his assemblage distant to an chartless destination. Up till this moment, I don’t cognize wherever my son’s lifeless assemblage is. Not lone that, constabulary inactive shutdown my house. They locked the entranceway gross to my house. My location is inactive nether fastener and cardinal since the incidental happened successful May this year.

“My household and I person been sleeping extracurricular our comfortableness location and connected an uncompleted building. I truthful outcry to the state Nigeria and the full satellite astatine ample to travel to my assistance and code the constabulary brutality connected guiltless citizen.”

He lamented that constabulary brutality successful Nigeria has go excessively much, stressing that adjacent erstwhile his lad was not invited by constabulary for questioning of immoderate transgression and committed nary offence of immoderate transgression oregon immoderate kind, constabulary came to the location and conscionable changeable him for nary reason.

“I person instituted a lawsuit of breach of quality rights against the constabulary authority, but since May, the constabulary authorization is utilizing their powerfulness to hold the lawsuit successful the court. They person refused to marque appearances successful the court, which means that the constabulary has powerfulness and see herself supra the instrumentality not to look successful the instrumentality court.

“At first, we thought that those radical who came to attacked my location and killed my guiltless kid conscionable disguised themselves arsenic police, that constabulary couldn’t behave the mode they did, but aft the guiltless lad was killed , we started checking and moving circular constabulary stations successful Makurdi. Then we saw that they are genuinely policemen due to the fact that we saw immoderate of the properties taken distant from my location astatine the Operation Zenda bureau and we recognised those items.

“It was determination that the constabulary informed maine done my lawyer that my lad died and that they had deposited the corpse astatine the mortuary but they didn’t archer america which mortuary.

“As I talk with you, I person obscurity to stay. My woman and my fewer children are conscionable roaming astir the street.

“I, therefore, telephone connected the full satellite to perceive and spot what the Nigeria Police is doing to maine and my family. Civil nine organisations, quality rights lawyers should delight assistance maine avail justness for my son.

“I sincerely entreaty for urgent involution of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to guarantee speedy dispensation of justness successful the delayed proceeding connected the lawsuit of this other judicial sidesplitting of our son, Peter Onminyi by men of the Nigeria Police,” helium stated.

When contacted, Benue State Command Police Public Relations Officer SP Catherine Anene said that it was a lawsuit of idiosyncratic progressive successful kidnapping and equipped robbery.

“I americium alert of the lawsuit which involves a lad who is into kidnapping. I deliberation the constabulary went determination for apprehension and successful the process, 1 of the boys started exchanging gunfire with the constabulary and successful the process, helium was killed.

“However, americium not definite of the sanction but I volition inactive get backmost to you, ” she said.