Family of policeman killed over N20,000 ‘largesse’ demands justice

7 years ago

Family of policeman killed over N20,000 ‘largesse’ demands justice

Family of Sergeant Salvation Adaka, a policemen, who was allegedly shot dead by his colleagues over N20, 000 ‘largesse’ on November 7, 2016, has called on the police authorities to prosecute the culprits.

It was learnt that Adaka and three of his colleagues from Agudama-Ekpetiama Police Division were on patrol duty on November 7, 2016 and had stopped over at a funeral wake where they were rewarded with N20, 000.

Trouble reportedly started during an argument over the sharing formula of the gift received by Adaka, the most senior policeman of the patrol team.

He (Adaka) was allegedly shot dead during the argument by his colleagues.

A representative of the family of the deceased policeman, Prince Joseph Yabefa, said in Yenagoa during the week that the family had just received an autopsy report, which indicated that Adaka died of gunshot wounds.

He said that the pathologist, who conducted the post-mortem and autopsy found pieces of the lethal bullets in the spinal cord of the deceased.

Yabefa, who expressed satisfaction with the steps so far taken by the Bayelsa Police Command on the incident, noted that the family was demanding the prosecution of the suspects.

He said, “We have been following developments on the case; our interaction with the police indicates that three of the policemen with Adaka on that day were immediately arrested and detained.

“We were also told that one of them who was not found culpable has been released while two are still in police custody awaiting prosecution.

“Most importantly, investigation has revealed that they were on official duty when the incident occurred. This is contrary to speculation in some quarters that they were on illegal duty.

“We are still grieving because Salvation Adaka was a breadwinner of the entire extended family including his immediate family. He has an aged mother, five children as well as elder and younger brothers that depended on him.

“We urge the police to sustain the tempo and not to tamper with the evidences available that will form the basis of prosecution. We shall follow this matter to its logical conclusion.”

Sources at the Bayelsa State Police Command confirmed that the two policemen indicted in the case had been allegedly dismissed.

But the spokesman for the police command, Asinim Butswat, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said on the telephone that the sanctioning of the three policemen fell within the administrative powers of the Bayelsa Police Commissioner.