Following the gruesome murder of one Mrs Grace Dabo, 42, on July 20, in Ovwian, Udu council area of Delta state, by unknown gunmen, just after an altercation with policemen, her family has called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Isoko Mirror learnt that the deceased, a decorator and mother of four, was in the company of her 11-year-old daughter, Oghenenyerhovwo Dabo, when the sad incident occurred.
The daughter, while recounting their encounter with men of the Nigeria Police Force had reported that their vehicle was flagged down at Igbiki Junction and the mother asked for the particulars of the car, including the tinted permit of the Toyota Sienna Space Bus with registration number plate AGL 822 EY.
Grace Dabo reportedly provided said particulars except the permit, which she told the police she had left at home due to haste to get her decoration materials from a venue.
However, the police team led by an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), pulled Grace and her daughter out and impounded the car, leaving them stranded in the middle of the road at about 8pm, in spite of her pleas.
Upon seeing a tricycle, the late woman and her daughter stopped and boarded it in a bid to leave the area, which is notorious for robbery attacks. PHer bag containing some money and her mobile phone were snatched and she was found dead minutes later with gunshot wounds on her body, while the daughter was left unharmed.
Meanwhile, the late woman's husband, Benjamin Dabo, is demanding the punishment of the officers who were on duty, for lack of professional conduct.
Lamenting his wife's murder, Dabo stated thus: "Too many questions left answered. Why will the Nigerian Police admittedly orchestrate your brutal murder on that Saturday evening 20th July 2019? There was nothing in your heart except love and kindness. With over 300 girls conservatively having undergone your tutelage, a country like ours ought to encourage people like you to help reduce joblessness with your enterprise.
"Ironically, it’s the same very government that bears responsibility for your gruesome murder in cold blood in front of our helpless underaged child who will now have to live the rest of her life in the reality of this horrible trauma. My heart bleeds in pain of your having left us just like that."
Sharing the opinion of the husband on the prosecution of the officers involved, the Delta state secretary of CDHR, Israel Joe, pointed out that the police may have orchestrated the killing in a Facebook post.
Joe said, " The police in Ovwian stopped her, and demanded for her tinted permit of a Sienna 1999 model vehicle. She told them she was a decorator and rushing to pack up her materials and since all the other papers were available she wouldn’t be able to lay hands on the tinted (factory fitted) permit at that moment.
"According to an eye witness, her 11-year old daughter who narrated the ordeal said the police forcefully dragged her down from her car, entered her vehicle, drove her car away living the woman and the daughter vulnerable at their check point. However, the woman succeeded in taking her bag which the police suspected had some good amount of money. Immediately, a tricycle came, picked up the woman and her daughter, after like 100 meters from the police checkpoint, they dragged her bag with her phone inside the bag, shot her on her rib and left. Her helpless daughter was also pushed out of the tricycle (keke).
"This act of the Ovwian Police violates professionalism if they are not even the ones that orchestrated her death. The police have too many questions to answer to this regards and we hope the Delta State Commissioner of Police CP Adeleke Adeyinka will order a thorough investigation into this matter as concerns Ovwian Aladja division where they uncontrollably take laws into their hands to execute evils and lawlessness."
"While we watch keenly for the prosecution of that police who orchestrated the untimely death of Mrs Dagbo, we also want to sound it loud and clear that you must not test the powers of local men, the people would react rather".
Isoko Mirror further learnt that while three policemen, including a senior officer, names undisclosed, have been arrested in connection to the incident, the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Aniete Eyo has been transferred from the division.
The Delta state police command has since confirmed the incident, condemning the actions of the officers involved but not confirming their arrests.
The statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Onome Onovwakpoyeya, said, "On the 20th of July, 2019 at about 1920hrs, while one Mrs. Ughochukwu Grace Dabo was driving home in the company of her 11yr old daughter Dabo Oghenenyerhovwo Evon in her Toyota Sienna Space Bus Reg. No AGL 822 EY, she was intercepted by Police Patrol team at Igbiki junction, Ovwian-Aladja and when she could not produce the vehicle documents on demand by the Police, the vehicle was impounded and taken to the Police station for further investigation, while the woman was left at the scene having refused to go along with the Policemen to the station.
"However, on the same night, at about 2105hrs, her husband one Mr. Benjamin Dabo later reported to the DPO at the station that, while the woman was on her way home with her daughter in a commercial tricycle they boarded, she was attacked, robbed and shot dead by a three (3) man armed robbery gang operating with the same tricycle unknowingly boarded by her, but her 11yr old daughter survived the attack and escaped unhurt. She was able to narrate how her mother was killed by men of the underworld who are yet to be arrested.
"The Commissioner of Police regrets the unfortunate incident leading to the death of the deceased and commiserates with her family members. He therefore assures members of the Public and in particular, the immediate family of the deceased, of the commitment of the Police to thoroughly investigate the role played by the Police in the incident and to ensure the arrest of the fleeing armed robbers with a view to ensuring that full justice is done without fear or favour."
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