A retired civil servant, Dominic Loko, has written a petition to the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Hassan Yabanet, to investigate the alleged attempted murder by a team of police personnel at Lessel, the headquarters of Ushongo local government area.
Loko, in the petition tag, alleged that the team of police personnel in Lessel meted out inhuman treatment, assault, and attempted murder on his son, Loko Paul Sughter.
In a petition copied to the executive secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Abuja, and the Benue State Coordinator of NHRC, Loko alleged that on August 12, his son was in the market square drinking native liquor with friends when they heard gunshots by officers of the police.
Amidst the scampering for safety, the bullet hit him, and his bag containing N14,000, a handset, and a charger fell, and one of the police officers picked up the bag.
He appealed to the police commissioner to prevail on the police officer in the custody of his son’s handbag to return it with the items mentioned inside.
Loko also suggested that since the action of the police has made his son a father of two with a wife incapacitated such that he could no longer feed his family, those responsible should be compelled to take care of the victim and his family, refund the money the father has spent on medical bills, the victim’s feeding, and those taking care of him in the hospital to serve as a deterrent.
He also appealed that the commissioner intervene by prevailing on the officers to tender unreserved apologies to the victim and the general public for acting unlawfully, insisting that before the incident, his son was not either declared wanted or a criminal, describing his attempted murder as totally unacceptable.
When contacted for confirmation and the level of investigation into the matter, police public relations officer, PPRO of the Benue Command, SP Sewuese Anene, said she had not received such information at the time of this report.
