Police authorities have not informed me of my husband’s death —Widow of Inspector beaten to death by soldiers in Lagos
As the police authorities claim that efforts are ongoing to investigate the tragic incident, Widow of the policeman that was beaten to death by soldiers serving at the Nigerian Army Ordinance Corp, Ojo Cantonment, Lagos, Favour Orukpe, has lamented that police heirachy were yet to inform her that her husband was dead, six days after the ugly incident.
THECONSCIENCEng reports that the distraught 40-year-old nursing mother, who called for justice over the bestial manner her husband was killed, also urged authorities to fish out his killers and punish them accordingly.
The Police Inspector, Monday Orukpe, 45, was beaten to a state of coma by yet-to-be-identified soldiers, last Wednesday, while controlling traffic with his colleagues at CCC gate, Lagos/Badagry expressway.
Reports said the policemen had explained to the soldiers, who ordered them to clear the road to make way for their bus, trapped in traffic, that it was impossible because the road was heavily congested.
However, the soldiers reportedly took offence and descended on them.
In the process, they beat the Inspector into unconsciousness. He died few hours later in the hospital, after all efforts to resuscitate him failed.
Speaking during an interview, widow of the slain policeman, Favour, lamented that the family had been traumatised since the incident happened.
Recounting how news of her husband’s death got to her, the mother of four, said: “I was at home on Thursday, last week, when I received the message from my brother-in-law that my husband had been killed. On Friday morning, I went to the station to confirm the news. When I got there, they took me to the mortuary where my husband was lying lifeless.
“The last time I spoke to my husband was on Wednesday, when he called to inform me that he was at work ,that he would be back when he closed. When he didn’t come back as promised, I called him at about 5 pm to know what was delaying him. I dialled his number severally without response, I kept calling till 4am, Thursday,when the phone was switched off.
“I never had a premonition that something was going to happen because he left home on Wednesday morning hale and hearty.
“ He was all I had. He was my backbone. He had planned to train his children to the highest educational level he could afford.” she said in tears.
More painful according her , was that since the incident happened, no policeman had paid condolence visit to her home.
She said: “Not even a visit from the division he served or from the state command. The DPO never thought it necessary to pay a condolence visit to my family. It was in the news I read that the Army paid a condolence visit to the Commissioner of Police. I need justice for my husband’s death.”
Elder brother to the deceased who is also a serving security personnel(names withheld) described him as “a very quiet and straight forward person. He never liked outstation work, he was scared of road blocks and road patrol which was why he was always posted as station guard, all through the years he worked at Area’ C’ Command, Surulere. A senior officer who knew him was proclaiming his admirable character openly. He told everybody that, ‘Monday was nicked named “oga that didn’t like money.” At the new station, he complained that male officers were not allowed to be station guards, only female officers. So, he was assigned to operations. He was scared; he kept telling me to put him in prayers pending when he would be transferred. If you go to the station, his colleagues will attest to it. People didnt’ know that my brother was a police officer because he was well-behaved and was very friendly. He only wore his uniform in the office. It was after he was killed that people in the community he lived knew he was a policeman. He spent over a year at Trade Fair division before tragedy struck.
“What the family wants is justice. The issue now, is, how the children will survive”.
The slain cop who was born on February 20, 1977, hailed from Onia-Ogbalo village in Irrua ,Esan central, Edo state
He was enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force in May,2002 , with Area C command, Surulere, as his first division. Thereafter, he was transferred to Iju division from where he went to the Trade Fair division, where he was killed.
His widow, is saddled with the responsibility of taking care of their four children: three boys and a girl identified as Divine, Emmanuel, praise, and Osaremien.
When contacted , spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin said the Command was expecting feedback from the panel of inquiry set up to unravel the mystery behind the tragic incident.
