The Rivers State Judicial Panel on Police Brutality and related crimes has been called upon to prevail on the police to release one Godstime Akugbo’s corpse for a befitting burial.
The call was made by family of Godstime Akugbo, who allegedly died in the custody of the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Rivers State Police Command in 2007.
A petitioner and elder brother of the deceased, Michael Akugbo, stated this when he appeared at the panel’s sitting on Tuesday, even as he demanded the sum of N50m as compensation.
Michael said his younger brother was arrested on the allegations that he was in possession of Indian hemp, saying he died in police detention few days after his arrest due to pains from torture.
“We want the panel to help compel the Nigeria Police to release my brother’s corpse to us. We also want the perpetrators of the heinous crime against my brother to be brought to justice. Also, we want the Nigeria Police to pay us compensation of N50,” he added.
Meanwhile, a source in the commission has disclosed that the panel might extend its public sitting by one month so as to attend to all the petitions brought before it.
The seven-man panel, chaired by retired High Court Judge, Hon. Justice Chukwunenye Uriri, which held its inaugural sitting on November 24, 2020, was expected to conclude public sitting on December 30, 2020.
