PHOTOSPEAKS
Uniport/Aluu 4: 3 Suspected Killers Narrate What Happened and Their Role In the Killing
The 13 suspects arrested in connection with the murder of four UNIPORT students have been charged before a Port Harcourt Magistrate on a five-count charge of conspiracy and murder and were yesterday remanded in prison till the case comes up again in December. Three of them spoke to the press and 30 year old David Chinase Ugbaje said a policeman joined in beating the youths while another policeman begged on their behalf. The Nigeria Police Force has also dismissed the policeman who was part of the mob that killed the students. The policeman has been identified as Lucky Orji.
“Around 7 am, I left my house. I dressed up to go to work. On my street, I saw a crowd of people with four unclad boys, who were being led into my compound, No. 9, Royal Villa in Omuokiri-Aluu. I said what was the problem and they said the boys were armed robbers. I said that is my compound, let us go and see the person, if he is their member or let them point the particular person, who is their member they were going to look for”…..continue reading
I opened the gate, they entered. A crowd of people that I could not control. They entered the compound. They pointed to the room of one of our co-tenants, whose name is Bright. They said one of the boys was staying with Bright. When they got there, Bright’s door was locked. Some people wanted to break the door. They started beating the boys. Very serious. Along the line, two policemen came around. One of the policemen was pleading. The other policeman joined in beating the boys and later said the crowd should hand over the boys to them, but the crowd said ‘no’. ‘We no go gree, we no go gree’.
“If you watch the video, you will see me where I held a belt, asking the boy. The boy told me ‘no’, that he was not a student (of UNIPORT). Quite all right, I knew him very well. He once bought slippers from me and used to repair slippers from me. I am a shoemaker at UNIPORT”.
“I live at No. 9. Royal Villa in Omuokiri-Aluu. I am from Ikwerre. I work at UNIPORT. I am a printer. I do photocopying and binding. In the morning on that day, I dressed up, as usual, so that I could go to my work. When I came out at the junction, so that I could pick a bike, I saw a crowd of people, with four boys. They were unclad, with tyres on their necks”.
“I followed the crowd. Before I reached my estate, they had already reached the house with the four boys in front of my neighbour, Bright, from Ogoni. They said they were looking for one of the boys. Before they came, the back door was locked. Some of the people in the crowd said they were going to break the back door. Others said no, they should leave the door, since Bright was not around. At the end, they started beating the boys”.
“I flogged everybody, including the four boys, for everybody to go out. I beat one of the four boys twice and the other one, I beat once.
“My name is Segun Lawal. I am from Osun State. I live in Omuokiri-Aluu. I was in the house, around 6:30 am to 7 am. I am a taxi driver. I saw a crowd and I parked my car outside. I saw a police vehicle coming and I followed the police. I saw four policemen. I saw the policemen enter the gate”.
“I came back on Saturday night (October 6). I was in my house. Policemen came to arrest me. I never had this type of experience. I told the police that I was not around. That I traveled to Obudu. I did not beat the four boys.