News Obiaks News

Members of the family of the two slain nursing mothers in Etsako Central Local Council area of Edo State have called on the Nigerian police to compensate the husbands and the children of the slain women. The two women were Mrs. Aishatu Saliu and Mrs. Sandra Imhaku, both hailing from the local government. 

The two women were downed by police bullets sometimes in June, 2015 in their community during a burial ceremony in which the two women were in attendance. The police had earlier dismissed the police officer responsible for the shooting, but the community and members of the families of the diseased are asking for compensation and not just dismissal. They also demanded that the police office be tried for murder.  

Corporal Ali Christopher was the police officer culpable of the offence. His Force Number was 444040 and he had been out rightly dismissed from the force by the police authority. The family showed their gratitude to the police for dismissing the policeman, but further asked the police authority to compensate the families affected by the incident.  

John Akhigbe, one of the family members speaking with journalist said that the community appreciate what the police authorities have done, but he said a token of compensation will go a long way to wipe off the tears of agony caused by the incident in their families. In his words: “if you were there and saw the mood of the people, you will appreciate how we feel. Because of what happened, everybody was moody and the youths were ready to do anything to any policeman at sight”

He further stated how unreasonable and terrible the offence is, declaring that no sensible organization or authority will ever condone such. He said the issue must be handled with justice and fairness, stating also that nothing they can demand from the police authority can ever bring back the slain. He said ordinary dismissal does not translate to complete justice and fairness.

He insisted that the police officer should be put on trial for murder; Mr. John Akhigbe said that is exactly what the people of the community will accept as complete justice.   Aside putting the police office on trial, the community also asked that the affected families be compensated by the police.

One of the slain women died leaving her children for no one to cater for, since she lost her husband just some months ago before she lost her life to the shooting incident, according to Akhigbe.  Mr. John Akhigbe further revealed that the eldest of the children of the said woman is not up to 10 years of age. Mr. Akhighe said that a lecturer from the community is now saddled with the responsibility of catering for the children of the woman.

He said the authorities should compensate the families, since the lecturer saddled with this responsibility also has his own family to cater for. Efforts had been made by newsmen to reach out to the police on the matter, but such efforts have proved abortive

By Anthony Olawale Ojo