A human rights lawyer, Morakinyo Ogele, has dragged Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to court over the death of a suspect, Razak Ahmed, in the custody of the Ondo State Command of the corps.
Ahmed was arrested over allegation of having carnal knowledge of his eight year-old daughter. He died in their custody three days after his arrest.
Controversies trailed his death as the command insisted he committed suicide but his family alleged that he was tortured to death by officers of the command while trying to extract confessional statements from him.
The human rights lawyer, who was not satisfied with the command’s explanation, approached the state high court in Akure to seek justice for the deceased and his family. Ogele is seeking the court’s order directing NSCDC to conduct investigation in its Ondo State command to identify officers involved in the arrest, detention and alleged torturing of the deceased.
Ogele is also “seeking an order directing the Corps to hand over the officers to the police for proper investigation and prosecution of the culprits. He is equally asking “the court to order NSCDC to pay a sum of N500 million as damages to the family of Ahmed.
The legal practitioner also wanted “the court to direct the security agency to subject all its officers to psychiatric test and stop them from torturing their suspects in order to obtain confessional statements. In a 33-paragraph-affidavit, Ogele said he initiated the suit on behalf of the family of the deceased and in the public interest.
The family members of the deceased have been calling on human rights organizations to help them get justice. “This is because NSCDC is trying to cover up this extra judicial killing. They felt unconcerned about the gruesome act against the family of the deceased. Ogele said “Their spokesman declared that the man committed suicide in their custody without giving evidence.
I think NSCDC is a security agency established to protect lives and properties in Nigeria. Its officers are not expected to take any life.
