The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress Joe Ajaero has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the police officers said to be responsible for the death of a former Edo State Council Chairperson, Kaduna Eboidogbin.
Eboidogbin who was traveling with his wife was said to have slumped and died during a scuffle with police officers at a checkpoint on Upper Sakponba Road, Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, on Monday.
According to accounts shared by a coalition of civil societies at a press conference in Benin City on Tuesday, the incident began when police officers stopped Mr Eboidogbin at a roadblock and demanded his vehicle documents, which he reportedly provided.
Despite presenting the documents and identifying himself, the officers allegedly insisted he follow them to the station, seizing his papers and entering his vehicle.
The coalition’s spokesperson, Omobude Agho, said the altercation escalated, causing Mr Eboidogbin to suffer a heart attack.
“The policemen ran and left him. It was good Samaritans who rushed him to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead before arrival,” Mr Agho stated.
However, In a statement by the NLC’s Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, on Thursday, Mr Ajaero condemned the killing as a “heinous crime” and criticised the explanation provided by the officers involved in the matter.
He described it as “lame and ridiculous” and an insult to the public’s intelligence.
“Nothing short of immediate arrest, detention and prosecution for murder of the officers involved will satisfy us,” Mr Ajaero stated.
Mr Ajaero described the untimely death of Mr Eboidogbin as a tragedy, he called on the Edo State Police Command and the Nigeria Police Force to ensure accountability.
The union warned against any attempts at a cover-up, which it said has often characterised cases of police misconduct in the past.
“The Nigeria Police Force stands to gain nothing when it protects bad eggs or nurtures them in its fold in the name of managing its public image. Indeed, it loses everything by doing so, including its essence,” Mr Ajaero noted.
The NLC president urged Edo State Police Commissioner Umoru Ozigi to take bold and transparent action so that justice can prevail.
“The Commissioner should seize the momentum by acting with transparent courage, knowing full well life has been snuffed out via wilful conduct,” the statement said.
He also recommended that the police adopt stricter disciplinary measures for rogue officers, drawing lessons from the Nigerian Army’s handling of erring personnel.
Mr Ajaero cautioned that failure to take decisive action could provoke a public backlash, which will further erode trust in the police force.
“At a time when public confidence in law enforcement is fragile, the police must take our advice seriously before it faces another backlash from the public,” Mr Ajaero added.
Mr Eboidogbin was a former Head of Uhunmwonde Local Government Administration and National Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
He was also the pioneer coordinator of the Edo Civil Society Organisation (EDOSCO) and a founding member of the Network of Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria (NOCSON).
