Students protest alleged murder of 22-year-old undergraduate

Students protest alleged murder
of 22-year-old undergraduate

The Edo State capital, Benin, was brought to a standstill on Monday as students, mainly from the University of Benin, protested against the alleged murder of a 22-year-old 500 level student of the institution. It was alleged that the student, Momodu Ibrahim, who was an undergraduate of Faculty of Laboratory Science, was murdered by the police.

The students attired in black dress, marched through major streets of the capital, calling for the arrest and prosecution of the Divisional Police Officer, of Ogida Police station, Carol Afegbua, over her alleged complicity in Ibrahim’s death. The late Ibrahim, said to be the only male child of his parents, was said to have been shot a stone throw from the family residence at No. 1, Igbobawaye Street, off Siluko Road by Textile Mill junction. A sister of the deceased, Ebohon Egbe, said, “I was in my office in Port-Harcourt, when I received a call from a cousin of mine, a policeman, that Ibrahim, my younger brother, had been killed. “I called my mother and she said they had been looking for him in the last two days.

Normally, it is after 48 hours that you report such thing to the police. “So, She (mother) went to the police on the 29 (Wednesday), only to be told that he was killed by Carol Afegbua, the DPO of Ogida Police Station and was buried the next day without the knowledge of the family. “His mobile phone, which was with the police rang out as we were trying to locate his whereabouts. A policeman later picked up the phone and asked my mother to come to the police station. “When the DPO was asked why my brother was shot, she said some policemen asked him to stop and he refused, alleging that he also wanted to shoot the policemen who were on patrol.

She said the policemen shot at him in self-defence.” The family, according to the sister of the slain student, was informed that the body of her late brother had been buried at a public cemetery, in Egor Local Government Area of the state. The protesters, who marched to Government House and were received by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Stephen Idehenren, however insisted on having an audience with Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who was said to be at the State Executive Council meeting.

When contacted, Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Eguavoen, pleaded for the arrival of the Commissioner of Police, Foluso Adebanjo, who he said had gone to Government House. He said, “The CP wanted to personally address a press conference on the issue, but he was called to Government House to attend a security meeting.”