Benue family accuses Police of extra-judicial killing of son

The family of Joseph Ominyi, a father of four in Ijigban ward, Adọ Local Government Area of Benue State, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun over the extra-judicial-killing of their son, Peter Ominyi by the Benue State Police Command.

The family, at a press conference in Makurdi on Saturday urged the IG to order an investigation into the killing of their son and bring the perpetrators to book.

Recall that the Benue State Commissioner of Police during a press conference in Makurdi alleged that the boys were kidnappers who were shot to death while fleeing from police who recovered AK 47 and other items from them.

The family said this is farther from the truth as the victim had a sharp disagreement with a lady who threatened the boy that he would see and the family lawyer has her telephone number.

In a petition addressed to the IG of Police, the family accused armed policemen from the Benue State Police Special Squad, Code named, Operation Zenda led by ASP, Iorlaha David of invading Peter’s residence at Welfare Quarters Makurdi on Sunday 19th of May 2024 when he was killed.

According to an eyewitness account, Jacob Ominyi, the police jumped over the first gate to the main building because it had no barbed wire.

The family alleged that when the Police came to the second gate of his residence they started knocking as they could not jump into the main building because of security barbed wire and it was Jacob Ominyi who came to open the gate for them without resistance

The statement read in part, “On the entry of the police into the parlour, they started shooting at random where the deceased boy was, probably their target was shot in the chest and died on the spot.

“Bullets could be seen on the walls inside the sitting room and not outside neither was there any scratch on the parlour key as there was no proof of resistance to police entering the sitting room .”

The family listed valuable items carted away by the police during their invasion including five million Naira, 5, O00,000, cash belonging to the victim’s mother, ATM cards and clothing belonging to his children.

They said the murder of Peter Ominyi will make people question the authenticity of some of the previous claims of AK-47 found on many who are victims of Police brutality.

The family called on the Inspector General of Police, Benue State Commissioner of Police, Benue State House of Assembly, National Assembly, Human Rights Commission, Civil Society Organization and individuals to collaborate in investigating this act of Police brutality against innocent citizens.

Several calls made to Benue State Police Command Spokesperson, SP, Catherine Anene to confirm the incident proved abortive.