Bayelsa locks down as Youths, activists, protest against Police killing.

By: Bodmas P. Kemepadei

- IYC President condemns killing of 17-year-old.

YENAGOA: Youths, activists, clerics and civil organisations today 26th, staged a mother of all protest against the alleged extra-judicial killing of a 17-year-old teenager, Master Innocent Kokorifa by the police.

The victim was gunned down by the Anti-Vice/Anti-Kidnapping squad of the police on August 18 along the Airforce Road, at about 11am.

Kokorifa was said to be running an errand for his mother, Pere, when he was killed in mysterious circumstances by the police.

The father of the deceased, Mr. Daniel Kokorifa, an officer of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) said his first child out of five children, was murdered in cold blood.

He said the victim who was to turn 18 on September 9 was a peacemaker, a non-smoker who had no records of criminality.

But the police in a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Butswat Asinim, said the victim died in a gun battle between a three-man notorious armed robbery gang and the police squad.

A Niger Delta activist and former Spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Mr. Jeremiah Owoupele, was said to have spearheaded the protest, accompanied with deputy speaker of the IYC mobile parliament, Barrister Tare Porri, the financial secretary, Comrade Alfred Kemepado Nimizigha and others.

The Protesters were seen carrying placards with inscriptions, 'Justice for Innocent Kokorifa' 'Say no to police rascality' ' Enough of extra-judicial killings' and many others. The Protesters marched from the NUJ Complex to the State Government House, where they were intercepted by senior officers of the police force in company of the deputy commissioner of Police, who pleaded with them to be calm, stating that the Police has began investigations.

Speaking in Yenagoa, Owoupele said the protest was to demand justice from the police on constant extra-judicial killings that seems to be reoccurring, he said women, youths from various parts of the state, members of IYC, human rights activists, lawyers and Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO) were all part of the protest.

Barrister Tare Porri furtger described the killing of Kokorifa as unwarranted, avoidable saying it had plunged the deceased family into mourning.

He said: “We can’t even comprehend the position of the Nigerian Police Force, an agency of government whose primary responsibility is to provide security, protect lives and ensure peace in our society. But the police have suddenly become an instrument of death.

Owoupele added again “It is even more tragic and more painful, the pace at which the Bayelsa Police Public Relations Officer issued a statement in respect of the late juvenile Mr. Kokorifa Innocent as being a criminal whose death was as a result of gun fire exchange with men of the Nigerian police.

“Perhaps most intriguing is the fact that when respected citizenry including legal minds, youth leaders and activists raised eyebrows over this particular death, the police in a meeting with the deceased family pleaded with them to excercise restraint and allow the police command to investigate the matter.

“This statement shows a deliberate attempt to cover up the culprits of this dastardly act. Is it not standard police practice for the police to conclude investigations before issuing a statement to the public”.

Owoupele said the demonstration was designed to ask the police to investigate the untimely death of Kokorifa and bring the perpetrators to justice describing the act and conduct of the police as unprofessional and unethical .

He said the eyewitness account of the incident was at variance with the statement issued by the command’s PPRO.

According to him the protest would further persuade the police to enforce internal professional discipline within their ranks and reappraise the kind of characters they recruit into their fold.

Meanwhile, the President of the Ijaw youths council (IYC) WORLDWIDE, Engr. Udengs Eradiri yesterday in a press statement, condemned the extra-judicial killing of Master Innocent Kokorifa by members of the Bayelsa state police command.

Speaking at the council secretariat, he described the murder of the 17yr old as tragic, painful and a Violation of fundamental human rights of Kokorifa, and demanded the Bayelsa police force to immediately arrest the culprit to avoid breakdown of law and order.

Udengs further expressed sympathy to the family of the deceased and urged all youths in the state to stand up and speak against this barbaric act.

See story:
http://www.bodmasnews.com/2016/08/bayelsa-locks-down-as-youths-activists.html