It was a tale of sorrow as a witness Patrick Simon Akor on Friday narrated before the IIP-SARS, how his elder brother, late ASP Akor Ude was allegedly murdered in Odekpe Community in Anambra state where he led a police team to the Community on a peace mission.
Akor, who testified before the 11-Member panel chaired by Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd) accused the complainants of the death custody, arbitrary arrest and detention, unlawful use of firearm resulting in extra-judicial killing and abuse of office a case that is before the panel of killing his brother and rushed to the IPP-SARS with the intention to cover up their crimes.
He alleged that Chief Peter Ikechi, Peter Ekwealor (deceased) and Mr. Ekene Okona from Odekpe Community in Anambra state who are now complainants before the panel killed his elder when he was sent in an official assignment to their community.
Akor told the panel that he and his late brother ASP Ude were to attend their sister’s traditional wedding slated for April 25, 2020 but went for the assignment in Odekpe Community that he never returned.
However, he noted that his elder brother had instructed him (Simon) and his other siblings to proceed to their village, Otukpa in Ogbadigbo local government of Benue state for the proposed traditional wedding of their sister. But in a sober mood told the panel that they waited for their late brother to come down to Otukpa and perform his traditional rite as the eldest son of their late father during the traditional marriage but to no avail.
His absence, according to Akor, prompted the two families to perform the traditional wedding rites pending the blessing of ASP Ude who could not make it to the village.
In furtherance, He revealed to the panel that on the April 26, 2020 he suddenly received an “anonymous call” from his elder brother’s phone informing him that his brother had been killed in Odekpe Community and that the caller informed him that he would not call him again over the matter.
Following the bad news, he told the panel that he wrote a petition to the Inspector General of Police twice demanding that the police should state the whereabouts of ASP Ude Akor.
In addition, he said that he wrote a similar letter to the Commissioner of Police, Anambra state Police Command demanding an explanation over the whereabouts of Ude they sent for a peace mission to Odekpe.Community in Anambra.
While he was been cross-examined by the counsel to the complainant’s, Raphael. Adakole, Simon insisted that the three aforementioned men from Odekpe Community were actually those who killed his brother and that he has video evidence to buttress his claim. He added that he was in possession of a video of how his brother was laid down and butchered by the three men from Odekpe Community-expressing readiness to tender the same before the panel.
However, counsel to the complainants, Adakole lamented on the inability of Simon Akor to disclose the source of the video of the alleged killing of his brother in Odekpe Community., stressing that his failure to disclose his source means that he (Simon Akor) did not prove that the three complainants in the petition were responsible for the death of ASP Ude.
It will be recalled that a police witness, Abdulmumuni Mohammed had earlier told the IIP-SARS that Peter Ekwealor, a member of Odekpe Community in Anambra state and one of the three complainants in the petition slumped after his confessional statement that he participated in the killing of ASP Akoh Ude when he led other policemen on a peace mission in June, 2020.
Peter Ekwealor , one of the petitioners (now deceased) was arrested and detained alongside Chief Peter Ikechi and Mr Ekene Okona from the same Odekpe Community.
Testifying before the 11-Member panel presided over by Dr. Garba Tetengi (SAN) on behalf of the Chairman, Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd), the Police witness said that Peter Ekwelor (now deceased) confided in some police officers to reveal that it was some members of the Odekpe Community that killed ASP Akoh Ude when he led a Police team on a peace mission to the area.
According to Abdulmumuni, the late Peter informed the police in his statement that he and some other members of Odekpe Community took an oath of secrecy at Attah Okakwu palace (the paramount Ruler of the Community) not to reveal the death of ASP Akoh, (whom they allegedly killed) to anyone.
“After making the confessional statement while he was in police detention with his casemates, Chief Ikechi Peter and Ekene Okona, he slumped”, the witness stated.
The case was adjourned to December 2, 2021.
