…says family needs closure, burial of loved ones

By Ike Uchechukwu, CALABAR

A legal practitioner and human rights activist, Orchardson Umoh Esq said has stressed the need for the police authority to revisit the 2018 Ayilamo Saga incident in Benue State where some police officers were ambushed and killed during an operation in the area.

The human rights activist noted that seven years after the incident, peace has eluded the survival of the attack as well as the famimies of the deceased officers.

Umoh stated this in a petition against the handling of the incident, which was addressed to the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, and dated February 11, and made available to newsmen in Calabar on Thursday.

In the petition, Umoh said 23 policemen deployed from Mopol Unit 33 in Ado Ekiti and Imo Safer Highway Unit to the community to protect lives and properties were ambushed during an operation.

He explained that during the attack, more than 12 of them were either killed or captured by militias or bandits( herdsmen)

According to him, “There is need to make a closure of the incident by recovering and returning the corpses of those who lost their lives for proper burial and the protection and care of the survivors.”

“sir, the very sad incident which we are writing to your office about was well publicised in the Nigerian media space and has been followed by write ups encompassing and reflecting the despair of relatives of those who were killed or who are still missing or whose bodies have not been recovered dead or alive.

“Sadly, it appears that not enough attention had been given to this incident.

“The scale of the entire incident demanded that such questions as what actually happened? how it happened? who were involved? and the actions taken be asked and answered.

“In other words, a proper investigation ought to have been conducted to provide more insight to the incident and determine if there were anylapses or other factors that contributed or culminated in the incident and identify any safety or operatonal policies that may have been violated.

“In this manner, the police would have more information to prevent or manage similar incidents in the future.”he noted.