By Wisdom Patrick, Lagos

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Muhammed Abubakar, has ordered the Lagos State Police Command’s Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, to re-open the 13 years old alleged killing of four Igbo youths by policemen attached to Aguda part of Surulere in Lagos State in 2001.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed  that the Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN) had recently urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar to respond to the request of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, that he provides the Honourable Attorney General of Lagos with the outcome of police investigation into the alleged extrajudicial execution of four youths in Lagos in 2001.  The four youths are: Anthony Ezenwafor, Chukwuemeka Ezeofor, Izuchukwu Ezeama and Aloysius  Osigwe.

The police boss in response to NOPRIN, has ordered that the Lagos State Police Command re-open the case. “I have directed that the case be re-opened. Justice must be done. Even if it means exhuming the remains of the victims police will do that. We must get to the root of the killings and those culpable will be punished accordingly.”

NOPRIN spokesman, Okechukwu Nwanguman, told our correspondent that by a letter dated March, 12, 2013 and signed on behalf of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation by one Ofulue L. N., an Assistant Director at the Federal Ministry of Justice in response to an ‘application from Ekwulobia youths to do justice to four victims of extrajudicial execution by the police on July, 1, 2001, the Police boss has responded in such a speed of lightening. This is something his predecessors could not do since 2001.”

The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation, had requested the IGP to ‘kindly provide the Honourable Attorney General of Lagos State with the outcome of police investigation into the matter for further necessary action.

Nwanguman said that NOPRIN was worried that 13 years after this request, no known action was  taken by the past IGPs  to ensure justice for the victims and for their indigent parents and kinsmen in Ekwulobia Youth Association, and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to account.

He recalled that on July, 1, 2001, four members of Ekwulobia Youths Association in Lagos State, namely; Anthony Ezenwafor, Chukwuemeka Ezeofor, Izuchukwu Ezeama and Aloysius Osigwe were brutally murdered by trigger-happy policemen from Aguda Police Station, Lagos.

Nwanguman said: “Since then, members of Ekwulobia Youths Association and the indigent parents of the victims, represented by Mr. Akaraka Chinweike Ezeonara, have been making relentless efforts to bring the killing of their members to the notice and attention of police authorities so that justice could be done.

But these efforts have been futile and met with alleged cover up by the police.”  According to him, the four youths were gunned down by trigger-happy policemen from Aguda Police Station on July, 1, 2001, at No. 48, Olaitan Street, by Kilo Bus Stop, Surulere, Lagos State. They were killed under the suspicious of the police that they were armed robbers working for their ex-boss, Chief Jude Okolie whom they had earlier served before securing their own business independence.

Police investigation on the claim, on the previous activities of the killed four Ekwulobia youths revealed that they were not armed robbers as attested to by members and leadership of Ladipo Main Market, Mushin, Lagos State who confirmed that the four youths were bona fide members of their market organisation.

The leadership of Ladipo Main Market, Mushin, Lagos State then also attested to the four deceased’  good conduct. The market organisation leadership went further to clear the names of the killed four youths on African Independent Television (AIT). “Despite letters to the police by different lawyers bringing the facts of the extrajudicial killing of the four youths to their notice for necessary action, no serious or conclusive action had been taken by the police authorities.  One of such letters was written by Dr. Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr., dated November, 10, 2009.”

“In response to the letter, the then IGP caused a letter dated  December, 11, 2009 to the DIG ‘D’ Department FCID Force Headquarters Abuja, directing him to investigate;  but neither the petitioners nor their counsel had been informed of any action taken by the DIG. “In the light of this, Dare Adeyeye Esq., wrote another letter dated May, 10, 2012, drawing the attention of the IGP to this development. He implored the IGP to use his good offices to compel the police authorities to take necessary action as stated in his letter dated December, 11, 2009 to the DIG.”

Mr. Mike Okiro was the CP in Lagos State as at the time the extrajudicial killing of the four youths took place and Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo was the Area Commander of Area C, Surulere, that controlled Aguda Police Station with Mr. Chilaka as the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, making spirited defence of the killings by giving the four youths up as armed robbers. In their determination to attain justice in this matter, Ekwulobia Youths Association addressed a letter, as aforementioned, dated November, 22, 2012 to Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minster of Justice.

In all this, nothing happened, until the present IGP, Muhammed Abubakar came into the picture. “What we did was to send a reminder letter to Abubakar and just like that he invited us for a meeting, that was when he indicated his intention that justice shall be done in the matter.