The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has denied shooting one Shedrach Ochoche for stealing a car battery belonging to a Chinese woman known as Madam Pimpim.
Mr. Ochoche, an indigene of Agata Local Government Area in Benue State and an ex-worker at a Chinese restaurant in Abuja’s Jahi area, was tortured to death on January 17 after being suspected of carrying away the batteries, according to reports on Monday.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that prior to his alleged murder, Ochoche, a cleaner in the restaurant had resigned over the inability of the organization to pay his salary for some months.
A prominent human rights lawyer in Abuja, Napoleon Otache, had in a notice, said the deceased resigned from the Chinese woman’s restaurant when he was owed more than three months’ salary.
He added that five days after Ochoche resigned from the cleaning job, the Chinese woman alleged that her car battery was missing and she went and lodged a complaint at the Mabushi Police Division, Abuja, which led to the worker’s arrest.
He called on the relevant authorities to immediately swing into action to make sure the blood-thirsty policemen and killers of Ochoche are brought to book in accordance with the laws of the land.
Similarly, some Nigerians have stormed their social media pages demanding justice for Ochoche, saying police brutality must stop.
However, when contacted by newsmen, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Josephine Adeh denied the report saying “there was nothing like that”.
Meanwhile Hon. Godday Samuel, member representing the people of Apa/Agatu federal constituency had condemned the murder of the 29-year-old man.
Godday and some other stakeholders from Benue, who demanded justice for the victim, revealed that Ochoche died in police custody after he was arrested and tortured by the officers.
“While in detention, his family members visited him and on seeing his bad condition due to injuries inflicted on him, his family members made a passionate appeal for his bail but their appeal for bail fell on deaf ears”, he added in a statement.