Four policemen attached to the D5 Unit of Criminal Investigation Department, Cross River State Police Command have been recommended for dismissal after an orderly room trial found them culpable in the murder a 23-year-old man, Stanley Etim, in Calabar.
The policemen, Peter Njoku, a sergeant, Unoh Egwu, an inspector, Bassey Okim, a corporal and Uche Aligu, a sergeant, were alleged to have killed Etim, an attendant at Sparks Shopz along Eta Agbor Road in Calabar, on February 5, 2015.
They alleged that Etim died of stomach ulcer; meanwhile, an autopsy result issued on April 22, 2015 by the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital revealed that the deceased died of ‘extensive blunt head and limb (upper and lower) injuries.’
According to The Punch, one of the policemen recommended for dismissal, Aligu, died while the trial was ongoing but it was recommended that he should be dismissed posthumously.
The orderly room trial was sequel to the petition by the deceased’s family accusing the affected policemen of arresting, detaining and torturing Etim to death.
Part of the recommendations to the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Henry Fadairo, was the outright dismissal of the affected policemen and subsequent arraignment in court.
But it was learnt that three of the accused policemen were released after the orderly room trial instead of remaining in detention.
The lead counsel to the deceased family, Mr. James Ibor, when contacted, said he was satisfied with the recommendations of the adjudicating officer of the Orderly Room Trial.
He, however, expressed sadness that the accused were not in police detention.
Ibor said, “We are surprised for the heinous crime they committed, the police investigation report indicted them, the orderly room trial indicted them and they are still walking free, endangering the lives of witnesses.
“They have been dishing threats and even attempting to crack into the homes of some of the witnesses. The witnesses feel threatened that these rampaging murderers have not been put where they belong,” Ibor noted, alleging that part of the grand plan was to allow the accused threaten the witnesses.
“It will not work,” he continued, “justice must take its course and we will stop at nothing in fighting for it, mark my words.”
The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. John Eluu, said the indicted policemen were in detention and would be charged to court soon.
“I do not know where he got that information from. All I can tell you is that the accused persons are in detention and they will soon be charged to court,” the PPRO confirmed.
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