A coalition of civil society organizations in Edo State has given the Nigeria Police, Edo State Command, 48 hours to provide an explanation regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) chairman for Edo State, Comrade Kaduna Eboigbodin, at a police checkpoint in the state.
The group alleges that the police’s handling of the situation, following a routine vehicle check, contributed to the tragic death of the former labour leader.
According to the civil society coalition, the late Comrade Eboigbodin was stopped by the police at a checkpoint, where they demanded to inspect his vehicle papers.
Despite the papers being up to date, an issue arose regarding a discrepancy between the engraved number on the car’s window and the plate number.
Rev. David Ugolor, the Executive Director of the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), which is part of the coalition, quoted the deceased’s wife, who said that Eboigbodin explained the issue to the officers.
However, the police allegedly seized his vehicle documents, ordered his arrest, and instructed another officer to enter the vehicle.
The officers reportedly called for a towing service to take the car to the station.
Ugolor further claimed that the police’s aggressive behavior created a tense atmosphere that eventually led to Eboigbodin collapsing.
According to the coalition, after Eboigbodin collapsed, the officers did not offer assistance and fled the scene, leaving his wife and bystanders to rush him to a hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Comrade Omobude Agho, coordinator general of the Edo Civil Society Organizations (EDOCSO), expressed shock over the actions of the police, particularly given that Eboigbodin was a well-known figure in the state.
The group has now demanded that the Edo State Police Command investigate the incident and bring the responsible officers to justice.
However, a source told DAILY GAZETTE that after being stopped by the police and asked for his vehicle papers, the late Eboigbodin reportedly got out of his car to make a phone call.
He then began to fidget and suddenly collapsed. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
When contacted for a statement, Moses Yamu, the Edo State Police Command spokesperson, said he had not yet been briefed on the matter but promised to release a statement on the incident later today.
