Mother of slain UNICAL student cries for help

A 59-year-old widow, Mrs. Enoh Maurice-Enang, whose son, Derek, was allegedly murdered by a four-man police team attached to the Special Anti Robbery Squad in the Cross River State Police Command has called on Nigerians to help bring the perpetrators to justice.

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The Saturday PUNCH title had last week reported how the corpse of 22-year-old Derek, who was a 300-level student in the Department of Accounting, University of Calabar, was sold to the Anatomy Department of the same institution for N11, 000 by the suspected police killers, led by one Sergeant Anthony Idoko.

In a renewed plea on Thursday, Mrs. Maurice-Enang, called on President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Liyel Imoke, his Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Godswill Akpabio and human rights commission, among others, to intervene, saying it appeared that the matter was being silenced by the state Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

A committee set up by the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone Six, Calabar, Mr. Musa Daura, had indicted the four policemen for their involvement in Derek’s death, but the DPP had yet to prosecute the culprits.

She said, “I have known no sleep since my son was killed by Anthony Idoko and his cohorts on April 17. Is it because he knows him to be fatherless and I am a widow that he believes nothing will be done? I am crying out for justice to prevail and put a stop to the killing of our innocent children by blood-thirsty security personnel.

“My son is not of questionable character and had never been detained in any police station or had any issue with the police anywhere. Idoko of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad murdered my son, Derek.”

It was gathered on Thursday that Idoko and his cohorts were earlier detained on June 25 at the Zone Six Command in Calabar but were later released on June 28.

After his release, a source who preferred anonymity, said Idoko had publicly said he would use the Directorate of Public Prosecution to kill the case. He was, however, rearrested on August 6 alongside 12 other policemen in connection with the matter.

A source at the state Ministry of Justice had earlier confirmed receipt of the indictment of the culprits, but added that the ministry was constrained because of the interest of some top politicians in the state who want the matter swept under the carpet.

When contacted on the telephone, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Attah Ochinke, did not pick up his calls or respond to text messages from our correspondent.

-Punch

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