21/8/2016

_ By Aluzu Ebikebuna Augustine



A 17 year old juvenile named Innocent Kokorifa was shot and killed by men of the Anti-Vice squad in Bayelsa state on 18/8/2016 at 11:00 AM (in the Morning). Confirming the incident of the killing of Master Kokorifa, the Police through the O/C Anti-Vice labelled Master Kokorifa with ‘Armed Robbery’ related offences and that he was killed in exchange of a gun duel with members of his team (the Anti-Vice squad).



According to the Police:

“They got a rip-off that there is a robbery incident going on at Air Force road, opposite PROSCO around 11:00hrs (11 in the Morning). The men of the Anti-Vice team swung into action and confronted the robbers. This led to a gun duel with the Police and the victim was gunned down.”

The Police alleged to have recovered a locally made gun from the side of the deceased close to his body as he fell down. The O/C Anti-Vice alleged that on getting reports from his men that a criminal was gunned down at ‘Airforce Road’, and the body taken to FMC mortuary, he went there and search the deceased. He alleged to have discovered Igbo (Indian hemp) in the pocket of the deceased.

This however, led me to swing into action as the matter involves Human Right. The Police, as we all know has infamous ways of shaming itself. They are egregious for their incompetence, clumsy approach to issues and their ‘trigger happy officers’ are responsible for the death of innumerable number of citizens they are sworn to protect. I therefore embarked on an investigation in an attempt to unravel the real gist behind the death of Master Kokorifa. I spoke with Mr. Daniel Kokorifa from Okpotuwari Community of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on phone. He is a Road Safety Officer and father of the deceased. I booked an appointment with him. We eventually met. He was a man well built, in his middle 40’s. It wasn’t a pretty sight to behold, seeing a man in his middle 40 weeping uncontrollably over his loss. He was a father that just lost a son, his first child out of five. Meeting him Inter presentis, I saw a man with a crushed spirit and a teary eye. As we interact, I saw tears sneaked up his eyes and freely rolled down his cheek. He informed me about the following:

1. That Innocent Kokorifa was his first Child in a family of five children.

2. Innocent Kokorifa was a loving son, the kind of child every father would pray to have. Doesn’t smoke, neither does he keep friends or late night.

3. Innocent Kokorifa was 17 year old, and will turn 18, on the 9/9/2016.

4. That his son (Innocent Kokorifa) has no criminal record whatsoever and until his death, he was not of a questionable character.

5. That Innocent Kokorifa lived with him and his family at Okaka Estate until his untimely death.

6. That late Master Innocent Kokorifa, aged 17, recently sat for the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and he is awaiting his result before he met his untimely death.

7. That on 18/8/2016, he (Daniel Kokorifa) received a call from his wife that Police shot his first son, Innocent Kokorifa.

8. He instructed his wife to go to police station at Ekeki to inquire about the condition and whereabout of Innocent Kokorifa.

9. That his wife called to inform him that on getting to the station, she said ‘Police shot my son”, but the Police retorted “do not say Police shot your son, so that Police will investigate the matter for you”. However, they admonish and doctored her that if asked, she should say “bad boys shot her son”.

10. On hearing this, Mr Daniel Kokorifa said he left Port Harcourt by night bus and arrived Bayelsa around 23:00 hrs. (10:00 pm) thesame day.

11. He arrived Bayelsa and made efforts to locate the whereabout and condition of his son as most Police station he reported to claimed ignorance of the case.

12. He and his family went to the crime scene late in the night where he spotted some puddle of blood on the sand at ‘Airforce Road’.

13. That he retired home because of how late it was to continue investigation the ensuing day.

14. That on 19/8/2016 he returned to the locus in quo where he inquired from a woman (name withheld) about the incident that happened the previous day.

15. The woman told him it was men of the Anti-Vice squad that came out the said day (18/8/2016) and shot at an unarmed boy.

16. She insisted that the “environment was peaceful and there was no cause for alarm until the Police in Jean and polo shirts came and shot a gun that was aimed at the deceased.”

17. “When the boy fell down, he became lifeless. That the Police prevented people from having a close look at the lifeless body.”

18. “They shielded the body of the deceased from onlookers and threw it in their van then they carted away with it.”

19. On hearing this, Mr Daniel Kokorifa said he went to the office of Anti-Vice squad at Road Safety road to see the O/C Anti-Vice, but was told the O/C was not on seat and was advised to wait for the O/C

20. That after waiting for almost two hours, he left the premises of Anti-Vice and headed to Federal Medical Center (FMC) Yenagoa, where he confronted one of the Medical Doctors who confirmed that a lifeless body was brought to the Emergency Unit of the Hospital by members of the Anti-Vice team.

21. That the Emergency Unit rejected the body since it was already lifeless.

22. He further went to the mortuary unit, where on enquiry, he was told by the mortuary attendant that a body was brought in by members of the Anti-Vice squad.

23. He was told by the mortuary attendant that the Police paid the first payment of the mortuary bill and signed the mortuary register at exactly 11:59 AM (MORNING) on 18/8/2016 (The previous day).

Note that it almost took the Police one (1) hour to take the body to the mortuary from Okaka to FMC.

24. The lifeless body of the deceased was brought out by the mortuary attendant for identification after he intimated them that he is the father of the deceased.

25. That upon identification of the body, it was noticed that the deceased was hit by a bullet which perforated his oesophagus.

26. He recalled that on the day of the incidence 18/8/2016 according to his wife, Innocent had left the House and went out to visit his Aunt, Miss Gbasiemokumor Lucky (His Mother’s sister) who lives at the street adjacent to their house at 10:50am in the morning of Thursday, 18/8/2016.

26. That Innocent was shot by men of the Anti-Vice squad and was taken to Emergency Unit at Federal Medical Center (FMC) by members of the Anti-Vice squad. He was however, confirmed dead by Doctors and was transferred to the mortuary by men of the Anti-Vice squad.

27. That on inquiry from the O/C Anti-Vice team as to what led to the death of his son, the O/C Anti-Vice informed him that there was a robbery incidence at ‘Airforce Road’ in Okaka. The Anti-Vice squad intervened. In the course, there was exchange of gunfire which led to the death of Master Innocent. A pistol was allegedly recovered from the side of the deceased.

It should be noted that the Police did not mention where or who was being robbed at the time, before the Police intervened.

The locus in quo (Okaka Estate) is purely a residential area. The O/C Anti-Vice did not state who made the distress call and what time the distress call was received by members of his team.

He did not also say who the armed robbers victim was.

28. The O/C Anti-Vice squad also confirmed the incidence by saying that his men reported a case of robbery to him around 15:00 hours (3:00pm) and that one of the suspect was killed while two others fled.

29. That he (the O/C Anti-Vice) visited the mortuary where his boys claimed to have deposed the body, and searched the corpse of which he recovered Indian hemp (Igbo) from the pocket of the corpse.

29. The father also said that the police often come to that environment to harass and raid innocent civilians for monetary reasons who afterwards pay as high as N15,000 for bail.

I have equally been informed by the father of the deceased that a petition has been filed against O/C Anti-Vice and his team to the IG (Abuja), AIG (Zone 5) and COP (Bayelsa state) for justice to be done.

It is alarming that this incident happened in Yenagoa, the Capital city of Bayelsa state where Legal Aids, Child Protection, Human Right Commission, various Activist groups are situated, yet they are motionless about the incident.

It is evident that the life of civilians is of no premium whatsoever to ........….... http://nextnewslive.com/human-rights-activists-call-for-justice-for-innocent-kokorifa-e-a-aluzu/