Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has promised to set up a panel of enquiry to unravel the facts behind the alleged killing of a 22-year-old student of the University of Benin, Ibrahim Momodu, by the police.
This is even as the police in the state said the final year undergraduate of Science Laboratory Technology had a double-barrel gun when security operatives accosted him; an allegation that has since been dismissed by the deceasedâs family.
However, Oshiomhole, who spoke during a meeting with the family of the deceased and his colleagues at the University of Benin, said:
âThe only thing all the sides agree on is that the late Momodu was shot and killed. That is not in dispute but what is in dispute is why he was so killed, whether the police killed in self defence or if he was killed because someone was trigger-happy.
âWe will set up an enquiry. I will consult with the Ministry of Justice on the proper nature of the enquiry,â he said.
On the type of panel to be established, Oshiomhole said, whether it is an administrative enquiry or judicial enquiry, the aim is to establish certain facts that will help the government take the next decision.
He concluded by expressing sadness at the unfortunate incident. In his words, âWhat happened was very unfortunate. Anything that leads to death other than through a judicial pronouncement, as a government, we will not tolerate. However, the police have offered their own explanation to us which is different from the narration by the students and the statement from the family.â
