Woman demands justice for slain sister at Abuja panel

A lady, Chinenye Igwetu, on Thursday, appeared before the panel of inquiry set up by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to look into the cases of extra judicial killings and brutality by the police and demanded justice for her sister allegedly killed by the force personnel.

Igwetu, who gave evidence before the panel, said her late sister, Miss Linda Igwetu, was killed on July 3, 2018, when she went out to celebrate the completion of the one-year youth service with friends.

According to her, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) passing out parade was slated for July 4, 2018, and the deceased sent a Whatsapp message to inform her that she was going out to celebrate with friends after closing from work.

Igwetu said: “When I woke up at about 2:00 a.m. to use the restroom, I didn’t see my sister who was staying with me at my residence at Utako area of Abuja.

“At about 4:30 a.m., I got a call, it was one Mr. Tobi who called and asked me to come to Garki Hospital. I went there with my neighbour, Maureen, who heard when I screamed.

“When we got there, we saw many police personnel. Tobi was handcuffed and was drenched in blood.

“Tobi said that on their way from Ceedi Plaza, they heard a sound and he thought it was the car tyre that burst.

“He said my sister was sitting at the back seat, while Arafat was with him in the front.

“Tobi said he saw her sister holding her breasts and that it was then they realised that it was a gunshot they heard.

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“The gunshot hit my sister from the back and came out below her breast.”

The petitioner said a policewoman took her aside at the Garki Hospital and explained what happened to her.

She added: “The woman said if the shooting was at Ceedi Plaza, it must be Inspector Benjamin Peters who fired the shot.

“The hospital personnel said my sister had lost a lot of blood and needed to be transfused.

“I volunteered to donate blood but the hospital personnel said a woman cannot donate blood and I should look for a male to do so.

“I made frantic efforts to get a male donor. But before help could come I was summoned from the hospital and they informed me that sister died at 6:10 a.m. on July 4, 2018.”

Igwetu revealed that the female police officer took them to the Police Service Commission (PSC) where she lodged a complaint against the said Insp. Benjamin Peters.

When asked by the chairman of the panel, Justice Suleiman Galadima, what she wanted, the woman demanded justice for her sister.

“I want justice for my sister. I want my family to be compensated even though no amount of money can bring back my sister. She had many dreams,” she pleaded.

Galadima ordered that the day’s proceedings should be typed and made available to the Inspector-General of Police, the FCT Commissioner of Police, and Insp. Peters.

The panel adjourned the case till November 16 to give the respondents the opportunity to respond to the allegation.

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