Ubong Sampson – Uyo
An Assistant Superintendent of Police, Joweigha Michael is to be arrested on the orders of the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, Andrew Amiengheme, over death of a suspect Kubiat Isaac Inyang. Untill his death, Kubiat was a fresh graduate of the University of Uyo awaiting National Youth Service call.
According to a story that circulated on social media and claimed to be the deceased family’s side of the story, “Kubiat Isaac Akpan was on Sunday 29th August 2021 arrested by Men of the Nigerian Police (B Division), Ewet Housing Estate. The deceased was allegedly whisked away by the policemen with allegations that he was fingered in a robbery incident.
“On arrival at the station, No case was filed against Kubiat, neither was his arrest documented, but he was thrown into the cell where he was allegedly tortured to death and his corpse deposited in a mortuary at the force headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia. All this happened without the knowledge of his family.
“On Monday 30th August, friends and relatives of the deceased began a search for him but this yielded no fruit because his arrest wasn’t documented at any of the police stations.
“The Police denied knowledge of his whereabouts until a relative of the deceased placed a call to the Commissioner of police whose efforts led to the revelations of his arrest, unlawful detention and torture to death”.
When contacted by our correspondent on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the command, Odiko MacDon said he had no idea of the development, as, if true, he was yet to be officially briefed on it. Though a public comment by a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong on his facebook page claimed the police commissioner was aware of the development as of two days earlier, as his (Inibehe’s) team who is representing the deceased’s family had met with the commissioner on Wednesday.
However, a subsequent statement by the Police PRO on Saturday, titled, ‘Death of Kubiat Isaac, CP orders arrest of ASP’, has confirmed the order of arrest by the commissioner who the statement also said, has also ordered an autopsy to verify the remote and immediate cause of Isaac’s death while in detention.
The statement said Isaac, who was being investigated for suspected criminal offences, took ill and was taken to Police clinic where he died.
Macdon, however, denounced the news in the social media that the said Isaac was beaten to death by a Police personnel.
According to the statement, Isaac was traced to and arrested at Eni Stores in Uyo on the 29th of August, 2021 and taken for questioning and later transferred to CID, where his case was pending investigation before his eventual death.
“It is expedient to state that the said Kubiat Isaac was being investigated for the offence of suspected armed robbery and cultism, and had been evading arrest for sometime.
“He was traced to and arrested at Eni Stores on the 29th of August, 2021 and taken for questioning. On arrival at the Division, the DPO ordered that he be transferred to the State CID where the case was pending, for discreet investigation.
“Unfortunately, the suspect said he was sick. He was taken to the Police clinic for treatment, but gave up the ghost in the process.
“The Commissioner of Police, Andrew Amiengheme, has ordered an autopsy to be conducted in order to determine the cause of death”, the statement noted.
The statement added that the CP who has great respect for fundamental rights, notes that contemporary policing isn’t about torture and should not be tolerated, and has according to the statement, assured of a diligent and transparent investigation.
“To actualise this, the CP ordered for the immediate arrest and detention for questioning of one ASP Joweigha Michael, who, preliminary investigation revealed, was the officer who effected the arrest of the said Kubiat,” the statement further hinted.
While consoling with the family over the untimely death, the CP assured that if found culpable, the officer will be held accountable for his action and will face the full weight of the law.
