Members of the Igbo Traders Association have decried the gruesome murder of one of their own, Innocent Okorie, whose life was brutally cut short by some callous individuals at Vaase Market in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.

Daily Sun learnt that Okorie was murdered and thrown into a ditch on May 15, 2009, after he was arrested and kept in police custody for allegedly attempting to kidnap an 11-year-old girl who was selling sachet water at the market.

The deceased it was gathered had displayed his wares in the market that day like any other trader and sold for sometime when he suddenly became thirsty and needed some water.
He called on a girl selling sachet water and took a sachet from her, drank the water, gave the young girl money to pay for the water and demanded for his change when she told him she did not have change.
Okorie who resided in Taraba and only moved his wares from one market to another was said to have asked the girl to go sell her water and come back later for her money and she accepted.

But when she came back, Okorie who still did not have change, according to his lawyer, Rowland C Ndefo, in his petition dated June 8, 2009, told the girl so. This resulted in an argument between them which attracted other members of the market who pounced on Okorie alleging that he wanted to kidnap the girl.

In his petition titled, “Unlawful Killing of Innocent Okorie at Vaase in Logo local Government Area” to the Benue State Commissioner of Police, copied to the AIG Zone IV, Makurdi and the Inspector General of Police, a copy of which was made available to Daily Sun, Ndefo explained that Okorie was beaten mercilessly after he was accused of trying to kidnap the girl with a sack to justify their action.

But Okorie was kept in police custody with leg cuffs that night. An angry mob stormed the police post late in the night, took hold of the victim who could not escape due to the leg cuffs still on his legs, and murdered him in cold blood.
Okorie’s counsel explained that his client was shot in the stomach and thrown into a gully anticipating that if it rained that night the dead body would be washed away by the flood to an unknown destination.

Ndefo noted that unfortunately for the evil doers, the rains did not fall and so, the remains of Okorie was intact in the gully where was dumped.
However, by the time Okorie’s people visited the police station where he was detained the next day, he was no longer in the cell. This made his people to dispatch a search party which led to the discovery of his lifeless body in a ditch with leg cuffs on his two legs.

The deceased’s counsel who wondered why anybody would abduct a suspect in police net and kill him stated that the police had said the arrest was to save him from the mob action of his attackers as it was already getting dark that fateful day.
He prayed the police to take immediate steps to bring to book all those who committed the crime pointing out that it is only then that justice would be done to all manner of people.

The traders called on the police to unravel the misery surrounding the case alleging that Okorie’s wares and his sales for that day were forcefully taken away by the irate mob.
Okorie’s lawyer who prayed the police to take immediate action to bring to book the vandals who committed the heinous act wants to know why someone in police cell would be found dead in a gully the next day. He asked “who are those that released Okorie from the police custody to be murdered.
Ndefo stated that members of the association had been subjected to all forms of harassment by the indigenes of the two local government areas and maintained that, “the unfortunate death of Okorie is one of such acts of Igbo phobia in those areas.”

Benue State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed confirmed the killing and explained that after the deceased was arrested and kept in police custody for safety. The irate mob stormed the police post at night, over-powered the police and forcefully took him away.

He disclosed that three persons have been arrested in connection with the murder adding that investigation on the case was still on and promised that all the culprits would be prosecuted and brought to book.
But following the gruesome murder of Okorie, the question on people’s lips is how could someone be abducted from police custody only to be found dead the next day, and why was he still in leg cuffs after being detained in police cell? It however seems, only the Police could provide answers to the questions.

- sunnews

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