Onokpite’s death: Court orders autopsy

By Emma Amaize

WARRI- A Delta State High Court sitting in Warri, Friday, ordered that an autopsy or corona inquest be conducted on the remains of the former gubernatorial candidate of the Citizens Popular Party, CPP, the late Chief Ogbe Onokpite, who was shot dead by the police, November, last year.

Justice C.E. Achenefu gave the order while ruling on an application by the counsel to the Onokpite family, John Edmund Odohisi, which sought the relief among others, to enable it know the cause of death of their son.

Justice Achenefu noted in her ruling that there were irreconcilable areas of conflict in the affidavit and counter affidavit of the applicants, Lawrence Onokpite and two others  and respondent, Inspector General of Police, which only an autopsy or corona inquest will resolve.

In her words, “the application succeeds partially”, as the court could not adjudicate on the issues of fundamental human rights and issues canvassed by the family and police if the cause of death was not determined.

Counsel to the family, Mr. Odohisi told Vanguard after the ruling saying,  “the order is a right step in the right direction. We will heed the court’s order. The result of the autopsy is the basis of our case. The police cannot deprive us from having the corpse to perform autopsy, we will take enrolment of the order to them. In fact, they will even be there when the autopsy is being performed”.

“It is after the autopsy that the family will then take the next step, this is why we came to the court in the first instance, it is the basis of our agitation, we want to know if it were multiple bullets that killed him, whether he was shot on the leg, arm, head, etc”, he said.