Jethro Ibileke/Benin
David Ugolor
Executive Director of Africa Network of Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), David Ugolor, has revealed plans by his organisation to set up a task force to monitor cases of extra judicial killings in the Niger Delta region.
Ugolor made the disclosure in Benin on Monday when members of the Network for Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria (NOCSON), paid a congratulatory visit to him on his recent appointment by the African Bar Association (AFBA) as its Senior Advisor on Corruption and Governance.
He said the task force became necessary due to the frequency of cases of extra judicial killings in Edo state in particular and other parts of the country, with the latest being the death of 26-years-old car dealer, Benson Obode while in police custody.
While calling on the governor of Edo state, Adams Oshiomhole, to fulfil his promise to set up a Public Defenders Agency to give legal aid to persons who have been victimised but lack financial resources for legal fees, Ugolor said all states in the Niger Delta would also be encouraged to set up a similar body to carry out a comprehensive data gathering of such cases in their respective states.
“We want this to be done so that we can avoid some of these killings. Few years ago, we had the case of Momodu a student of University of Benin who was killed by the police, and after much efforts by the civil society groups, it was revealed that he was killed, then there was the Uteh four which the commissioner of police claimed were armed robbers but after our intervention, it was clear that they were just farmers, we had a court injunction that they should be exhumed and after autopsy report, it was clear that they were shot directly by the police. …Read More
Source:: PM Newspaper
