End SARS: How Police shot my son over N100 bribe – Woman cries to Akwa Ibom judicial panel of inquiry
A-47-year old widow from Nkek, Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Mfon Udoidiong, on Thursday, narrated to the judicial panel on incidences of police brutality how one sergeant Idongesit Ekanem shot her son dead when he failed to offer N100 bribe to the said officer.
Narrating her ordeal before Justice Ifiok Ukana led panel at the high court in Uyo, after resumption from a two week break, Mrs Udoidiong said her late son, Mr Imo Udoidiong, a final year student of the Uyo City Polytechnic, came home to collect money for his project.
She explained that she pleaded with the boy to stay a while to enable her to gather the money adding that his late son accepted and later went to a nearby stadium to watch a local football match.
She said after some hours, the son’s friend identified as Ubong Monday came to announce that her son was shot dead by a police officer who demanded money from him when he failed to give him.
Udoidiong said the family of the police officer involved only supported her with two hundred thousand naira to buy coffin and bury the son, adding that since then she was neglected and the police had not shown concern.
“Family of the police officer promised to give me 1, 000,0000 naira for me to move on with my life. But till today, nobody has given me anything.
“They (family of the suspect) only gave me 200,000 naira to buy coffin to bury my son.
On his own, the witness Ubong Monday who was an eyewitness told the panel that the deceased was his classmate in secondary whom he met on his way to buy spare parts.
Monday narrated that late Udoidiong asked for assistance to reach where he was going since he was using a motorcycle.
According to him, “close to Ukanafun stadium, some policemen stopped us and demanded N100 before we could pass.
“We told them that we do not have money to give, and my friend went down from the motorcycle to meet the leader of the patrol in their vehicle for explanation.
“Then the senior officer told them to allow us to pass. When Udoidiong tried to climb back the bike, Ekanem (the suspect) came with his friend and attacked him with sticks for reporting him.
“Not satisfied, Ekanem went and brought a gun and shot Udoidiong at a close range and he died instantly.”
However, when the panel asked the respondent, Sgt Ekanem why he shot the victim, he simply replied “it was an accidental discharge.”
Meanwhile, the Counsel to the petitioner, Mr. Augustine Udoh has prayed the court to drag the suspected policeman who was said to have been dismissed from service to appear for questioning on the matter.
He also demanded compensation in the sum of N100,000,000 for the irreparable loss
However, the Panel adjourned the case to January 21, 2021 for further hearing.
