By Okhide Em’ya David
Clan head of Imiakebu Community, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria Chief Ugheiemhekhia Kareem Yahaya, Azamanodu II of Imiakebu, has demanded fifty billion Naira, (N50b) Compensation over the alleged murder of five promising youths of his Community by a Superintendent of Police, Mr. John . E. Agaga in December 28, 2019.
Chief Yahaya made the demand while appearing before the Edo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry for victims of #EndSARS and related abuses on Tuesday .
The Community Head explained that the money is for the compensation for the five youths who were allegedly murdered on the orders of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Agenebode, John . E. Agaga in his community.
He also asked for N50M compensation each for five others who were wrongfully detained at the state police command for two days.
Chief Yahaya also asked the panel to compel the police officer to release the bodies of the slain youths to their families for befitting burial rites while he called for the redeployment of the police officer, SP John. E. Agaga from the community noting that his presence there is still a potential threat to them all.
Yahaya who appeared before the panel alongside the survivors of the dastardly shooting, listed the deceased as follows: Sabo Abacha, Garuba Shaka, Sunday Augustine, Isaac John and Sunday Junior.
Addressing newsmen shortly after appearing before the panel, counsel to the petitioners, Kami Asunogie, said it was a conflict between two communities, brother and sister, named Imiakebu and Isiuku in Etsako East Local Government Area of the state under the jurisdiction of the police station in Aganebode.
Asunogie alleged that the DPO came into the community, killed five youths under five minutes between 12:30 and 12:45 that he was in his village.
He also alleged that the police abandoned their bodies having killed them and that it was the military that came to take the bodies to the mortuary with the assistance of the people of the local community.
The counsel said up till today, every attempt to seek justice has been resisted by the DPO himself and their bodies have since been kept by the police.
“We have come to this panel to seek for justice. The bodies of our youths that were killed, have to be released to us for burial.
” They have been in the morgue since December 2019. It is the DPO that is keeping them.
“We want compensation for our community. Those persons, have relations, and, they must be compensated.
“Just for being present and waiting for an address for their village heads. They have no reason for killing them”, he said.
