by crossriverwatch admin
Eleven of the fourteen Policemen attached to the Special Anti Robbery Squad, Calabar who faced the orderly room trial for extra judicially killing six detainees on April 17, 2014 have been dismissed while the other three who are senior officers will wait for their own disciplinary actions to be handed down by the Police Headquarters in Abuja.
The names of the dismissed policemen include:Inspector Gershom Osotu, Inspector Erienekpe Fineman, Sgt. Anthony Idoko, Sgt. Anyim Gregory, Sgt. Lawrence Egbe, Sgt. Okili Akpokabowei, Cpl. Okey Oyama, Cpl. Unyime Jumbo, Cpl. Edidiong Jeremiah, Cpl. Atan Michael, Cpl. Patrick Kokei.
CrossRiverWatch gathered that when news of their dismissal got to them in their detention cell, the men became violent and protested what they called, “a media trial” instigated by outside forces. But their protest did not yield anything.
Our reporter further gathered that having been abandoned by high profile politicians who have been backing them because of the media attention on the matter, the killer cops have been reaching out to other sources including traditional rulers to save them.
One of them, Inspector Gershom, CrossRiverWatch gathered, reached out to the Paramount Ruler of Calabar South and Muri Munene of the Efuts to organize a protest to the governor’s office asking for their release but was turned down by the Royal Father.
A top police source who disclosed the news of their dismissal to CrossRiverWatch said that “The judgment has been handed down on them and we are just waiting for the AIG to sign before we make it public. Throughout the trial, there was no evidence linking the people that were killed to allegations of robbery by the detained policemen against the deceased. It was clear that the accused policemen are not innocent of the accusations. They are all still in detention awaiting their arraignment in Court.”
When CrossRiverWatch contacted the family of one of the deceased, Maurice Derek over the development, his elder brother who was simply identified as Udeme expressed appreciation to the Police, the Cross River Ministry of Justice and CrossRiverWatch for following the matter up.
He was particularly thankful to the AIG Zone 6, Mr. Dauda, and the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sodipo for their cooperation and efforts so far and prayed them to also ensure that the matter is seen to an end by charging the dismissed cops in a civil court.
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