#Justice for Joy Odama: Sack IGP, NHRC Boss Now – NGO Tells Osinbajo
By Alex Uangbaoje, Kaduna
Following the alleged murder Joy Odama, and manhandling of the case by the Nigerian Police, Basic Rights Enlightenment Foundation, an Abuja based Human Right Non-governmental Organization (NGO), has called on the immediate sack of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and Prof. Bem Angwe, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission.
The NGO, in a press statement jointly signed by its President and Secretary General, Augustine Okechukwu and Ikechukwu Madike, made available to newsmen on Wednesday, appealed to the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to come to the aid of the poor family, saying, “as it stands now, you are the only one that can help them, since IGP. Ibrahim Idris and Prof. Bem Angwe of National Human Rights Commission has failed them.”
The statement further states that, “as a lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, we believe that you will not shut your ears to the cry of this innocent little soul and her poor family.
“Mr. Acting President sir, we demand that you order the immediate sack, arrest and prosecution of the following persons: Alhaji Usman I. Adamu (The culprit), AIG. Umoru Usman Shehu (The culprit’s brother), CSP. Nkem Raphael (DPO, Karimo), SP. Michael Obiora (DCO, Karimo), Inspector Silas Ishaya (IPO, Karimo). Inspector Nkechi (accomplice of the culprit) and Miss Gift (the nurse in the Alhaji’s house).
“We also call on the Attorney General of the Federation, Justice Abubakar Malami to take over the investigation and prosecution of this matter from the police, for we have totally lost confidence on the police.
“We further appeal to you, Justice Malami to please use your good offices to ensure that all the Police officers that are involved in the cover up game in this matter is brought to book and that this poor family gets justice on the shortest possible time.
“We are also appealing to all the Women and Girls Child Rights Organizations, all the Human Rights Activists, Journalists and Media Houses – national and international – to, in the interest of justice and in the spirit of fairness, come to the aid of this innocent little soul and her poor family by using the might of your organizations to hold the relevant government authorities involved in this matter accountable and keep them on their toes, to ensure justice for this poor family.
“Finally, we want to make it clear to Alhaji Usman I. Adamu and his police friends that BASIC RIGHTS ENLIGHTENMENT FOUNDATION will never give up until justice is given to this innocent little soul and her poor family. For injustice to one, is injustice to all.”
Joy Odama, a Nineteen (19) year old Joy Odama, an undergraduate of Cross River State University, who just returned from school for the Christmas holiday was allegedly killed by one Alhaji Usman Adamu, a philanthropist who invited her to his apartment at Ibro quarters, karimo Abuja, in pretext that he wanted to help with her education.
The statemenr added, “we wish to use this medium to inform Nigerians and the world, that after six months of the murder of miss. Joy odama, the culprit – Usman I. Adamu is still walking freely, without any effort by the police to arrest him or invite him for questioning; even when the result of the autopsy conducted on the body of the late Joy Odama and the evidence at hand shows clearly that she was killed by drugs administered on her by Usman I. Adamu.
“The matter has been reported to the police since 29th December, 2016. It was first reported at karimo police division and the DPO, CSP. Nkem Raphael bluntly said that he cannot arrest the culprit (Usman I. Adamu); and insisted that the family should not pursue this matter any further, but that they should dialogue with the culprit- Usman I. Adamu and go and bury their daughter.
“On hearing this, we (BASIC RIGHTS ENLIGHTENMENT FOUNDATION), and other Human Rights Groups, on the 3rd of January, 2017 wrote petitions to the following governmental Authorities: the Inspector General of Police, IGP. Ibrahim Idris.
“The Executive Secretary National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Bem Angwe, the Director General of DSS, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, the Speaker House of Representative, Yakubu Dogara.
“The story also has been published by a number of print news media. And after all these efforts to get justice, up till now, noting has been done by any of the above government agencies, all because the culprit- Usman I. Adamu has a big brother who is a serving AIG, that covers him up. The said AIG, on 26th December 2016 at karimo police division, where the matter was first reported, declared the case closed and threatened Odama’s family to go and bury their daughter.
“We want the world to know and for it to be on record that the Nigerian Police under the leadership of IGP. Ibrahim Idris has woefully failed Nigerians. That him, IGP. Ibrahim Idris denied an innocent little soul and her poor family justice. Based on this, we call for his immediate removal or sack.
“We want the world to know and for it to be on record that Nigerian police is not for the poor.
We want the world to know and for it to be on record that in Nigeria, once you have a senior police officer as a brother that you can commit any crime and get away with it.
“We want the world to know and for it to be on record that in Nigeria, the law is made for only the poor and less privileged: that the rich and the people in authorities are above the law.
“We also want the world to know and for it to be on record that the National Human Rights Commission under the leadership of Prof. Bem Angwe has totally failed Nigerians. That him, Prof. Bem Angwe (the Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission) denied an innocent little soul and her poor family justice.
“Based on this, we call for his immediate removal or sack. We want the world to know and for it to be on record that the National Human Rights Commission under the leadership of Prof. Bem Angwe does not associate with the poor or answer to their call, no matter what their case may be.
“We want the world to know and for it to be on record that there is nothing like ‘Human Rights’ in Nigeria and that Nigeria is a jungle where the strong and the rich kill and feed on the poor and the less privileged.”
