By Oghenekevwe Laba
LAGOS AUGUST 3RD (URHOBOTODAY)-National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS)Joint Campus Committee Delta State has condemned the recent brutal murder of Mr. Ifechukuda Nwaikpor a final year student of Delta State University (DELSU) along with his friend identified as Kazeem at Badagry, Lagos State by vigilante and men of the Nigerian police.
In a statement signed by its President Comrade Prince Koyoyo Uhroho made available to Urhobotoday the student is appealing to President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in the brutal killing so that those involve should be brought to justice.
They equally appealed to Inspector General of Police Mr Mohammed Abubakar to step into the matter so that the policemen alleged to have executed the dastardly act were prosecuted.
They also called for the investigation of the role of Badagry Divisional Police Officer on the killing of the youths.
“We use this medium to beg the Inspector General of Police Mr Mohammed Abubakar to ensure that the policemen alleged to have killed the student and his friend are brought to book or to justice,” the student appealed, just as they expressed surprise over the silence of the Lagos state government on the issue.
The student body thanked Lagos State Commissioner of Police Mr Umar Manko for the swift action he took in ordering the arrest of the culprits and assurance of personally heading the investigating team.
It would be recalled that Lagos State Police Commissioner, Umar Manko, has ordered the arrest of policemen fingered in the killing of two boys in Badagry when read the report in the media
that an undergraduate of the Delta State University, Ifechukwude Nwaikpor, and his friend, Kazeem, were beaten to death by policemen and hoodlums in Ajara area of Badagry on July 21, 2013.
Manko, who said he would head investigation into the matter, blamed the Badagry Divisional Police Officer, Mohammed Dankoli, for tagging the late schoolboys as armed robbers.
The CP added that he had ordered the immediate arrest of the policemen spotted in the video clip which showed how the boys were killed by members of a vigilance group.
He said, “Actually, the Divisional Police Officer did not present the matter to us the way it happened. When we started asking questions, we discovered that the two people, who were killed, were not armed robbers as alleged contrary to what the DPO told us.
“When we saw the video clips and watched the way those boys were killed, we told ourselves that we would be failing in our duties if we fail to bring everyone involved to justice.”
Manko said he was not satisfied with the slow pace at which investigations were done and ordered the transfer of the matter to his office at GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
He also mandated a senior police officer in charge of Maroko Police Station, CSP Johnson Adenola, who he described as “an upright man” to superintend the trial of all civilians and policemen fingered in the matter.
He said, “Initially, the matter was sent to State Criminal Investigation Department, but they were not moving at the pace I expected them, so I decided to take over the matter personally.
“I have brought the best hands in my command together under the leadership of DPO of Maroko Police Station, whom people have discovered to be an upright police officer.
“He and his team would be supervised by me and we would ensure that people do not take laws into their hands next time. No one has right to take the life of another. We have one suspect in custody already and we will get the others. I will not tolerate impunity by anyone.”