22/8/2016

– Aluzu Ebikebuna Augustine



I feel obliged to inform you of the rather troubling incidence that happened to Innocent Kokorifa. He is the first child of a family of five. He is very smart, easy going, hardworking, obedient and full of prospect. Even if he didn’t possess any of the aforementioned qualities, he still did not deserved what happened to him on the 18th day of August, 2016 (18/8/2016).

It all started on Thursday 18/8/2016) morning when Innocent Kokorifa left his house at 10:50AM (in the MORNING) to visit his Aunt, miss Gbasiemokumor Lucky (His Mother’s sister) who lives very close to them. Precisely ‘Airforce Road’, the street adjacent to their house at Okaka estate. If Innocent was clairvoyant enough, he would have said his last prayers, bid his mom ‘goodbye’, gave his little siblings a bear hug, knowing fully well that he was about to make a journey of no return, but he didn’t. How many people can really tell the exact minute, time, or day they are going to be no more?

Innocent was one of such person’s. He didn’t know that it was his last day on mother earth. And so he stepped outside. No cause for alarm as the neighborhood has enjoyed relative peace for a while now, save for few pecuniary motivated police indiscriminate raidings at night. It was a peaceful morning, and such, Police raiding was least expected. On getting to ‘Airforce Street’ Okaka, Innocent met his end. He was gunned down by men of the Anti-Vice team. He was hit by a bullet which perforated his oesophagus. The Police, having known what they have done, precluded passers-by from having a clear look at their victim. They carted away with the body by carefully guarding it from onlookers into their truck.

Police will always be police, and so they labelled Innocent Kokorifa an armed robber. They alleged that they recovered an okah (local made) gun beside him when they picked his lifeless body from the floor and hurled it onto their truck. They also alleged, through the O/C Anti-Vice (CSP Princewill) that his men, upon returning told him that there was a robbery incidence at ‘Airforce Road’ in Okaka. The Anti-Vice squad intervened. In the course of their intervention, there was exchange of gunfire which led to the death of Innocent a suspect. O/C Anti-Vice also went further to state that his men reported the incident to him when they returned back. And that they have taken the deceased to the mortuary at Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Yenagoa. He (O/C Anti-Vice) went to the aforementioned mortuary, searched the deceased and discovered Igbo (Indian hemp) from the deceased pocket.

No record of criminality about Innocent Kokorifa has been found with the Police. No record of investigation successfully carried out by the police which incriminated Innocent can be traced. How did they come up with such disjointed allegations? That is someone’s child lying lifeless in the mortuary. No decency for them to even inform the parents of the deceased whatsoever.

Mr. Daniel Kokorifa (Father of the deceased) said “on 18/8/2016, I (Daniel Kokorifa) received a call from my wife that Police shot our first son, Innocent Kokorifa.”

“Confused, I instructed my wife to go to police station at Ekeki to inquire about the condition and whereabout of Innocent Kokorifa.”

“My wife called to inform me 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 she should say “bad boys shot her son.”

“When my wife told me this, I left Port Harcourt where I was that moment by night bus and arrived Bayelsa around 23:00 hrs. (10:00 pm) thesame day (18/8/2016)”

“I arrived Bayelsa and made efforts to locate the whereabout and condition of my son, but most Police station I reported to, claimed ignorance of the case.”

“I went to the scene of the incidence at ‘Airforce Road’with my wife later that night and spotted some puddle of blood on the sand at ‘Airforce Road with the help of my torchlight’”.

“I retired home because of how late it was to continue searching for him the next day.”

“On Friday, 19/8/2016 I returned to the place where Innocent was shot and inquired from a woman about the incident that happened the previous day.”

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

She told me 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 a small boy.”

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

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

Mr. Daniel Kokorifa said it was on the strength of the woman’s statement that led him to FMC mortuary where he confirmed the lifeless body of his son. The mortuary attendant told him the body was brought in by men of the Anti-Vice team who signed the mortuary register and made the initial payment to the mortuary at exactly 11:59 AM (in the MORNING) of 18/8/2016 (the previous day).

Life is a lot of things and sometimes we either look the other way as though nothing has happened or stare tyranny in the face and make our voices be heard. Maybe being a member of the Nigerian Police Force is a powerful intoxicant and what better way to demonstrate this than killing a 17 year old boy in broad daylight? It is even frightening to know that these killer Police officers are still roaming with their rifles, going about their duties. They do not garb themselves in uniforms. Maybe it is easier to look the other way, because Innocent Kokorifa is not your son, cousin, brother, friend and relation. Maybe looking the other way is easier but in this fight I stand with the family of Innocent Kokorifa. This is one police recklesness too many.

#JusticeForInnocentKokorifa



Thank you all,

Aluzu Ebikebuna Augustine

ebisko19@gmail.com

http://nextnewslive.com/on-the-demise-of-slain-bayelsa-state-juvenile-innocent-kokorifa-by-police-officers/