The High Court sitting in Warri has ordered Delta Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to make available the police officers indicted for the murder of late Chief Ogbe Onokpite.
The court ordered they must be bought on June 29th, 2020 for prosecution.
In a motion on notice for an order of Mandamus with Suit No: A/M/57/2020 and No: W/3/M/2020 which has Mr. Diemo D. Onokpite as Applicant and Attorney-General of Delta State as Respondent, the court compelled the Attorney-General to exercise his legal obligatory duty to promptly charge, arraign and prosecute the five police officers indicted.
It stated the indictment of the police officers was based on the outcome of the investigation which was conducted by the Deputy Inspector General of Police ‘D’ Department (FCID) Abuja.
“And consequent upon the legal advice dated the 14th of March 2013 by CP Bayo Ajileye, Commissioner of Police, Legal/Prosecution Section, ‘D’ Department (FCID), Abuja that the investigation into the allegations of extra-judicial execution of late Chief Ogbe Onokpite revealed that the prima face case of conspiracy and murder could be established against the five police officers who took one action or the other which resulted in the torture and extra-judicial killing of late Ogbe Onokpite on November 26th, 2011 in Warri, Delta state,” it stated.
Odiana Eriata Esq., lead Counsel to the Applicant (Diemo Onokpite), who spoke to newsmen after the adjournment of the case, said in a sane clime, those indicted were not supposed to walk free.
He lamented after the indictment by the Nigeria Police Force and subjected to their legal department, the report was sent to the Ministry of Justice in Delta state and the DPP also profiled an opinion to that effect against the indicted officers but the government did not deem it fit to arraign the indicted police officers.
According to him, it was based on government refusal to arraign the indicted officers that they approached the court to compel the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Delta state to commence prosecution against the indicted police officers.
Source: The Nation Newspaper