Police Brutality: Judicial Panel Summons Fmr. Akwa Ibom Speaker, DSS Operative

The Judicial Panel of Enquery on incidences of Police brutality and human rights violation has summoned a former Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and current member representing Etinan/Nsit Ubium/Nsit Ibom Federal Constituency, Onofiok Luke, to appear before the Panel in place of a petition brought before it by Dr. David Emmanuel Udo.

Also summoned alongside the former Speaker in petition no JPPB/MEMO/069, is a DSS personnel, Godwin Courage Eze who was said to have been his orderly as at the time of the incident.

The two are summoned on an alleged case of assault meted to the petitioner when Luke was Speaker of the State House of Assembly.

The Panel has ordered that the duo be served with copies of the petition and Memo and that they should appear in person on December 8, 2020.

Meanwhile, a medical pathologist who carried out post mortem on one Blessing Alade Jonathan said to have been murdered by a Police Inspector, Edo Henry and SP Odim in Iwuokpom, Ibeno Local Government Area, Dr. Emeka Nwafor, today appeared before the Panel to testify and give insight on the result of the autopsy.

It would be recalled that Dr. Nwafor, was earlier summoned to appear before the Panel last Monday which he failed to honour.

But when Dr. Nwafor, a senior lecturer at the University of Uyo and a honourary Consultant Pathologist at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, UUTH entered the witness box today, he gave details of his examination on the body of the deceased Blessing Alade Jonathan.

He said that the deceased had a multiple complex fracture on the left thigh bone with surrounding muscle and soft tissue severely damaged. The right leg was said to also fractured.

He further explained that the internal organs of the deceased were pale which according to him was a sign of little or no blood and excessive blood loss.

He submitted that the deceased had “a high velocity missile” injury in the body indicating gun shot.

The Respondents- Inspector Edo Henry and SP Odim failed to appear before the Panel. Police Counsel and representative of the Respondents, Blessing Philip informed the Panel that Edo Henry has since been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force.

The Panel said whether he was dismissed or not, it would not stop him from appearing before it to answer on what he knows about the case.