By Gabriel Enogholase

BENIN—THE family of late Chibuike Edeh, a former staff of Protea Hotel, Benin, Edo State, who died on March 14, 2015 while in the custody of the Nigeria Police Force, Area Command Benin, is demanding a compensation of N500 million each from the Police and Edo State Hospitals Management Board for alleged negligence and unlawful killing of the deceased.

The family warned that failure to comply with their demand, it will have no alternative than to head to court against the Police Service Commission, the Nigeria Police Force and officers involved as well as against the Hospital Management Board, doctors and senior staff who caused or contributed to the death of Chibuike Edeh

It will be recalled that late Chibuike Ede was a cleaner at Protea Hotel, Benin City and was arrested by the Hotel CSO following a complaint from a guest that the sum of N40,000 was missing from his room, and he had accused the deceased of being the last person to enter his room.
He was later handed over to the Police at the Area Police Command Office, Sapele Road, where he was detained.

However, in a letter to the Chairman, Police Service Commission and the Permanent Secretary, Edo State Hospitals Management Board, respectively, by the family through their counsel, Dele Igbinedion, the family accused police officers attached to the Area Command where the late Chibuike Ede was detained and the Chief Security Officer of Protea Hotel of negligence which resulted in his death, insisting that if they had acted swiftly after the accident and conveyed him to the nearest medical facility for treatment, doctors would have been able to save his life.

“Our clients informed us that the late Chibuike Edeh died on March 14, 2015 in connection with Police investigation into an alleged crime. When the Edeh family demanded for explanations, the Edo State Police Command claimed that on March 14, 2015, while Police Officers were accompanying late Chibuike Edeh on investigation activities, Chibuike Edeh was knocked down by a vehicle which dragged him along an estimated distance of about 500 feet

“Fortuitously, the driver stopped the vehicle opposite the premises of the Area Command and then abandoned it. Significantly, the Area Command (Police Station) is separated from Protea Hotel by about three buildings,” the family said.