The father of a teenager, Master Innocent Kokorifa, allegedly killed by a police team in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on August 18, 2016, has demanded justice from the police authorities and the government.
The deceased’s father, Mr. Daniel Kokorifa, an officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Rivers State Sector Command, said his son, who was brutally murdered by the police on the fateful day was innocent and never had any criminal records since his birth.
Kokorifa made the disclosure on Monday when some human rights activists led by a former Secretary, Civil Liberties Organisation, Mr. Alagoa Morris, paid a condolence visit to his home in Okaka area of Yenagoa metropolis.
Kokorifa, first out of five children of the FRSC personnel, was shot dead in a mysterious circumstance by the police Anti-Vice/Anti-Kidnapping team along Airforce Road in Yenagoa, on August 18, 2016.
The victim was said to be running an errand for his mother, Pere, when he was allegedly killed by the police.
But the state police command had in a statement last week claimed that the victim died in a gun battle between a three-man notorious armed robbery gang and the police team.
Painting vivid picture on the circumstances surrounding his boy’s killing, Kokorifa said upon investigation, he discovered that Innocent was killed by a police team led by his own friend.
He also said his son died on the day his West Africa Examinations Council results were released wherein his late son cleared all his papers.
Kokorifa, who hails from Indowari community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa, said,”On August 18, 2016, my wife called me that our son was shot dead.
“We went to the SCID, they denied knowledge, we went to Anti-Vice, they also denied.
When we went to the scene of the incident, we discovered that it was Anti-Vice team that came for the operation that night.
“In the following morning, I went to Anti-Vice again, they denied knowledge. I saw a friend, who works there. My friend also denied knowledge. But I later discovered that it was my friend that led the team that killed my son.
“From there, I went to the emergency ward at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa in search of my son. There I was told that the police brought the boy that night around 11pm, but that the doctors said there was no life in the boy the police brought.
“That was how I knew my son was dead. I went inside the mortuary with my son’s picture and my ID card before they allowed me in. There I saw the lifeless body of my son.”
Kokorifa, who said he would follow the matter to its logical conclusion, rationalised that after the end of the case, the police would no longer be killing innocent people in Ijaw land.
He saluted the courage of various rights groups and youths who had been standing by the family, alleging that the police had killed his innocent son who just took his WAEC examinations and wanted to read law in the university.
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