Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba and Sylvester Idowu in Warri
A Magistrate Court in Asaba, the Delta State capital, yesterday ordered that a dismissed police officer be remanded in connection with the alleged shooting to death of a phone dealer, Mr. Onyeka Ibe, at a checkpoint mounted by a stop-and-search team of police on Ugbolu-Illah Road two weeks ago.
Following the reported killing of Ibe by Inspector Ubi Ebri attached to the Area Command Asaba Patrol Team on April 5, 2023, the State Police Command had ordered an orderly room trial at the command headquarters in Asaba.
The state police authorities subsequently announced the dismissal of the accused on April 18, 2023, promising to charge him to court the next day.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bright Edafe, a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), who disclosed this to journalists in Asaba, stated that the court ordered the suspect’s remand in prison custody at the meantime.
However, Edafe noted that there was need for members of the public to know the actions so far carried out by the command on the matter with the state police boss promising that the matter would not be swept under the carpet but openly prosecuted.
The PPRO said: “The Command wishes to inform members of the public as promised that the said Police Inspector has been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) after the conclusion of the orderly room trial at the state headquarters in Asaba.
“The dismissed inspector was on Wednesday arraigned before an Asaba Magistrate Court on a remand proceeding for the murder of Onyeka Ibe.
“The court ordered that the suspect be remanded at the Ogwashi-Uku Correctional Centre while the case file be sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice and prosecution of the suspect by the office of the DPP.
“The Command has, therefore, tasked officers and men to uphold the tenets of professional policing in the discharge of their duties with respect to fundamental human rights of all citizens in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), while hoping that this will serve as a deterrent to others officers.”
The Police Command last Tuesday announced the dismissal of Inspector Ebri Ubi who allegedly killed a phone dealer in Delta State recently for allegedly refusing to part with N100.
The PPRO said: “Ubi Ebri has been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force and will be charged to court on April 19, 2023.”
Meanwhile, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Ari Muhammed Ali, who was recently elevated to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), had promptly ordered the arrest of the now-dismissed policeman as soon as news of the shooting of the victim, who was driving with his pregnant wife beside him, hit the airwaves.
Ali, who promised to ensure that justice was served in the matter, also led a team of senior police officers on a condolence visit to the family of the deceased.
“The Police Command assures members of the public and the deceased family of justice. An investigation has commenced, and he will be arraigned for prosecution,” he said.
Also, the state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, had charged the police to ensure that the trigger-happy police officer is brought to justice.
Angry youths had earlier protested to the state police command headquarters in Asaba with the lifeless body of the deceased, demanding justice for the gentleman whose life had been cut short by the trigger-happy policeman.
