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Open Letter: CD Writes Police Over Attempted Murder Of Citizen

The Victim

 

21^st January, 2013.

REF:CD/SER/ANS/CP/VOL6/21/1/13/ANSB/NG

        

ALH. BALLAH NASARAWA,

The Commissioner of Police,

Anambra State Police Command,

State Police Headquaters,

Awka.

Attention: CP NASARAWA.

UNPROVOKED SHOOTING AND ATTEMPT TO MURDER CITIZEN UCHENNA CHIGERE BY CORPORAL SUNDAY PETERS OF 29 PMF AWKA ATTACHED TO CPS ONITSHA ARE UNKNOWN TO POLICE ACT, CAP 359 AS AMENDED AND 1999 CONSTITUTION AS AMENDED. A PETITION CALLING FOR IMMEDIATE ARREST, DETENTION, AND PROSECUTION OF THE ABOVE NAMED POLICE OFFICER WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY.

The Campaign for Democracy South East Region writes to demand unreservedly, for the immediate arrest, detention, investigation, and prosecution of  one Corporal Sunday Peters of Mopol 29 Awka, attached to Central Police Station (CPS), Onitsha for an unprovoked shooting of citizen Uchenna Chigere of 27 TABA street off Osima,  also a trader at main market Onitsha, Anambra state.

Recall that on Tuesday, 15^th January, 2013, at about 12.20pm, citizen Chigere told this organization from his hospital bed that he boarded a commercial vehicle L.300 bus, after collecting over N50,000 from a commercial Bank along New Market Road by Obanye street when they were faced with Traffic Jam, Occasioned by the police Bullion Van Trucks who instead of plying old market road, decided to cause confusion by plying one-way traffic.

At this juncture, there was traffic jam between Obanye street by New market road, some police officers came down from their vehicle and started flogging innocent citizens, a particular old man and the driver carrying both citizen Chigere and other passengers was descended upon by the officers, citizen Chigere pleading with COP. Sunday Peter to let them pass attracted more beating and flogging, the driver, Mr. Chinedu Odor was said to have moved a distance in order to escape more beating and flogging by the officers lead by its Unit Commander ASP Ameh.

Corporal Sunday Peter followed them and opened fire and shot citizen Uchenna Chigere on his two legs and shattered it while inside the L-300 bus which they were traveling on, immediately, officer Peter completed his assignment, he left citizen Chigere in the pool of his own blood and took to his heels.

Citizen Chigere was left to breed for hours until help came to him when he was rush to a private hospital for intensive medical surgery.

It is our firm position, in accordance with various national and international legal instruments, such as the 1999 constitution (Chapter 4 etc) the Nigeria Police Act, as Amended, the criminal procedure Act, as Amended, the public order Act, etc and the international covenant on civil and political Rights, the African Chapter on Human and People’s Rights. The UN Convention Against Torture, the UN Basic concepts for the Law Enforcement Officers, etc, that any extra Judicial killings outside the due processes of the law, amounts to murder and Commission of Crimes against humanity and human family.

It is also our firm position, in accordance with these legal instruments, applicable and enforceable in Nigeria that any Psycho-physical treating of any citizens in any capacity including indiscriminate shooting by our law enforcement agents like Corporal Sunday Peters are not only criminal but wicked and evil, which are also an extension of crimes against humanity as defined in Article Seven (7) of the 1998 Rome Statue for the international crimes Tribunal, which Nigeria has ratified and domesticated, section 33(2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended is indisputably clear over the powers of the Nigeria’s law enforcement agents concerning the arrest, indiscriminate shooting and death of any Nigeria citizen accused of felony, minor  wrongdoing, accused falsely or indiscriminate shooting.

We wish to inform you formerly, that officers like Sunday Peters and his Unit Commander ASP Ameh are a products of the Dark Ages.

Consequently, on the heels of discovery of over 50 fresh dead bodies with bullet wounds on 19^th January 2013 flooding at Amasea in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State calls for thorough and in-depth investigation to unravel the circumstances that led to their brutal killing and dumping by some people.

OUR CALL:

(1) That the immediate process of investigation, Room Trial and prosecution of Corporal Sunday Peters should immediately Commence including the unit Commander ASP Ameh.

(2)That your revered office shall constitute a high Powered Senior Police Officers to visit Citizen Uchenna Chigere at his hospital bed in the next three (3) days.

 (3) That your office will take it as a personal responsibility to off-set the medical  bills of citizen Chigere with N5 million be provided as a compensation for being subjected to cruel and degrading treatments.

(4)  That the circumstances surrounding the plying of one-way by some police officers should be thoroughly investigated.

(5) That defined guidelines be stipulated against the lawless and recklessness of some Bullion VAN Police Officers in line with Anambra State Traffic Laws.

(6)That the bodies found floating at the Amasea River should be thoroughly investigated while those found culpable shall be prosecuted.

We sincerely commend your Command for Commencing and setting up a Special Team of Police investigators to investigate the DPO, CSP John Mark's inhuman activities.

We trust in your prompt response to this all-important petition in the next seven days.

NB: Please find enclose copies of photograph of the battered legs of Citizen Uchenna Chigere and his GSM number 08037254076

Yours faithfully,

For: The CD South East Region.

Dede Uzor .A. Uzor

Chairman CD South East Region

08093008350

CC.

1. The Executive Governor, Anambra State

2.  The State Director SSS, Awka

3. The Speaker State House of Assemble, Awka

4. The National Human Rights Commission, Abuja

5.  The Area Commander, Onitsha

6. The DPO, CPS, Onitsha

7. The DPO, Fegge, Onitsha

8. The DPO, Okpoko

9. The President Campaign for Democracy CD, Lagos.