4 Policemen Face Murder Charge For Allegedly Killing Two Persons

Four police officers have been arraigned before a High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State for allegedly killing two bus passengers.

They also allegedly shot another person in the foot.

The officers were said to have committed the act during a failed attempt to extort N50 from a bus driver.

The suspects, ASP Omorogbe, Inspector Emmason Udo, Hadiza Musa and Samirah Ileya of the Abacha Road Police Station, Obia/Akpor locality of Port Harcourt were alleged to have shot the victims sometimes in 2010 while the driver of the commercial bus in which the victims were riding attempted to escape from the policemen who demanded N50 from him at a check point

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In the suit No PHC/858/2010 filed against the suspects, the complainant, Ifeanyi Echemazu, whose mother in-law was shot in the leg said he took the action to pursue justice for his mother-in-law and the two passengers who died in the process.

According to the prosecuting counsel, Mr Chidi Ekah, “the suspects thought nobody was alive to testify against them in this matter, but Mrs. Christiana Aliko who was hit on the leg is here to testify that those who boarded the vehicle were passengers and not robbers as the suspects claimed”.

He added that the driver of the commercial bus whose resistance to the alleged N50 extortion provoked the fatal shooting is also alive to tell the story.

The presiding judge, Justice Georgewill, adjourned the matter to April 23, 2013 for further hearing.

It was gathered that they were arrested on the orders of the then commissioner of police who insisted on their being tried for alleged killings