Community petitions IG, protests demands investigation of police invasion, killing in Edo

A community, Enwan, in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, Edo State, in a petition, demanded the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other security agencies, which include the State Security Service (SSS), to investigate allegation of invasion of a community and killing of a young man by the police.

In a petition to the Inspector General of Police, copied to the Police Service Commission, lawmakers representing the constituency in the Senate, House of Representatives, and the Edo State House of Assembly, led  by the Chairman, Enwan Progressives Forum Elders Council, Dr. Steve Momoh; Chairman, Enwan Progressives Forum, Israel Omokhafe; and Legal Counsel, Enwan Progressives Forum, Rachael Akerele; protested that  “the action of the police was unprovoked as they shot and killed Cosmos while he and others were trying to enquire from the police, their mission in the community.”

They highlighted that “the policemen were dressed in black “tactical gear” marked RRS EKS and their mission was never disclosed, and no visible warrants, badges, or proof of jurisdictional authority, thereby casting immediate doubts on the legality of their operation.

“This operation, disturbingly reminiscent of Gestapo-style tactics, flagrantly violated the principles of due process, the rule of law, and the fundamental respect for human life.

“The unidentified operatives approached the Enwan Mixed Secondary school, a space that typically serves as a hub of academic activity, and surrounding residential areas in a hostile and confrontational manner, inciting fear, confusion, and chaos among residents, particularly against the backdrop of existing insecurity in Edo North region and particularly Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, characterised by farmer-herder conflicts, kidnappings, and ritual attacks.

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“This act of extrajudicial killing, the wanton and disproportionate use of deadly force, and the evident jurisdictional overreach constitute a grave violation of both Nigerian law and internationally recognised human rights standards.

“The action and invasion were unlawful, illegitimate, and in direct contravention of Sections 34, 36 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which guarantee the right to life, the dignity of the human person, right to fair hearing, which is a cornerstone of human rights and due process, and freedom from inhuman or degrading treatment.”

The petitioners argued that there was no warrant of arrest issued for the arrest of any individual before the alleged invasion of the community, arguing that the alleged comments by Wahab’s worsened the situation.

According to the community representatives, “Most disturbingly, Dr. Wahab baselessly accused Enwan community of being a hub for ritual killings, internet fraud, kidnapping, and even issuing fake customs documents, an unsubstantiated slanderous statement which amounts to dangerous ethnic profiling and collective criminalisation of a peaceful people” and attempt to demonise Enwan Community.”

The community, therefore, demanded joint independent inquiry involving representatives from the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Edo State Command, human rights organizations, and community representatives to ensure a transparent and unbiased investigation.