Thirty-one-year-old male suspect (identified as Erasmus Emhenya) has died in police custody from severe torture meted out to him by officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The FCT police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the death of the suspect but denied any torture as alleged by the family.
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While reacting to the call by the national coordinator Conflict Solution Advocacy on behalf of Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Edo, Osaro-Oniawu Jnr, for a thorough investigation into the death of Erasmus, SP Adeh said the acting commissioner of police, FCT, DCP Ahmed Musa, has ordered discrete investigations into the remote and immediate cause of death of the deceased.
She also said the FCT command “has commenced full investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death of Erasmus Emhenya on April 6, 2023, while in police custody. The late Erasmus was being held in custody as one of the principal suspects in a case of murder being investigated by the command. The late Erasmus and one Benjamin Agbasi were arrested for their involvement in the stabbing and killing of one 25-year-old Blessing Ogbu ‘female’ at the front of Number One Hotel, Nyanya, Abuja.
“Preliminary investigations by the command have however revealed that the suspect was not tortured to death by the Police.
“Meanwhile, acting commissioner of police, FCT Police command, DCP Ahmed Musa, has ordered discrete investigations into the remote and immediate cause of death of the deceased suspect, while in Police custody. In the same vein, as part of the ongoing investigations, an autopsy to determine the remote cause of his death, has since commenced and the report of the medical examiner is being awaited.
“The command leadership, while calling for calm, wishes to state categorically that the suspect was not tortured while in Police custody.
“The CP noted that this would no doubt be further substantiated, upon the conclusion of the autopsy and other investigative processes in the matter. He equally assured that the process would be transparent and the report would be made public in due course.”
Onaiwu had said the ugly incident came to light when the mother of the deceased cried out in one of the media stations in the country.