MOTHER CRIES OVER THE ALLEGED DEATH OF HER HUSBAND IN POLICE CUSTODY IN EBONYI STATE

A mother of seven in Abakaliki, Mrs Ngozi Inya has appealed to the Inspector General of Police to order thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding an alleged death of her husband in police custody at Kpirikpiri Police Station in Ebonyi State. The fifty five year old retired civil servant, Mr Israel Alu was said to have died in one of the rooms in the Divisional Police station..

The widow, Mrs. Ngozi Inya explained that trouble started when her son, Mr. Ebenezer Inya and his friends went to collect their ball that dropped into the premises of the Church at Nri Street Kpirikpiri.

She alleged that a guard refused to hand over the ball to them but connived with the pastor of the church and a police woman on maternity leave to handcuff his son and his friend before beating them up inside the church premises.

According to Mrs Inya, the police woman later dragged her son, his friend and her late husband who intervened in the matter to Kpirikpiri Police station. The son of the deceased, Mr. Ebenezer Inya told newsmen that immediately they got to the police station he was detained alongside his friend while his father was taken into a different room. Mr. Ebenezer who is studying criminology and Security Studies in the University alleged that the lifeless body of his father was abandoned by the police pointing out that he may have died as a result of an attack by the same police woman who arrested them.

Reacting, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Mrs. Loveth Oda said the Command had launched investigation into the matter while autopsy would be conducted on the corpse to ascertain what led to the death. When contacted, the Pastor of the church known as Nwakpa Kpa warned newsmen not to disturb him as he was at a police station.

AMAECHI ODOH