The family of Kingsley Agidi, a bricklayer, and father of three in Sapele, Delta State, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, over the death of their son.
The family, represented by Mr. Isaac Agidi of Amukpe Sapele, through, the legal firm of O.J. OKOROZE-EGBO & ASSOCIATES, (Legal Practitioner, Rights Advocates Estate & Corporate) Consultant) urged the IG to order an investigation into the killing of their son and bring the perpetrators to book.
In the petition addressed to the IG, the family accused armed policemen from the Delta State Anti-Cult Unit (SACU). Section of the Nigeria Police Force Asaba of killing the late Kingsley Agidi and holding on to his corpse.
According to the family, Kingsley had on February 2nd, 2023, gone to see a friend who was celebrating his birthday along Ogorode road in Amukpe when armed men from the State Anti-Cult Unit backed by other security agencies storm the venue and shot the late Kingsley before taking him away.
The family alleged that the SACU men shot their son dead upon arrival at the station.
The petition read in part, “Our Clients Nephew Kingsley Agidi aged 39 years old, a Bricklayer by profession, happily married with three children was murdered on the 2nd day of February 2023 by the men of the Delta Police Command Headquarters, Asaba while in a birthday party at Ogorode Area of Amukpe Sapele Town in Delta State.
- It is our brief that the above victim in open glare was severely beaten and tortured for no just cause by armed policemen from the said SACU Section of the Nigeria Police Force Asaba at his residence where a birthday party was being celebrated before he was shot to death by the men of the Delta State Anti Cult (SACU).
3, We were further briefed that immediately after the victim was shot, his lifeless body was taken by the men of the said SACU unit to an unknown destination up till the time of writing this petition.
4 . It is our brief that the victim never showed any sign of ill health before the day he was gruesomely murdered by the men of the Delta State Anti-Cult Unit. A copy of the photograph of the above victim in his lifetime is attached to this petition for your perusal.
5, It is our brief that, members of the victim’s family including Our Client demanded to know the reason for the shooting of the victim by men of the Delta State Anti Cult and the men of the Delta State Anti Cult unit alleged he was a cultist but when Our Client demanded to see the body of the late Kingsley Agidi up till this moment, the Police of the State Anti Cult Unit refused to allow Our Client to see the lifeless body of his Nephew the victim who had lost his father about 23 years ago.
The family stated that the action of SACU members was a calculated murder and extrajudicial killing, they then urged the IG to order an impartial and independent investigation into the torture and murder of Kingsley Agidi by the men of the Delta State Anti-Cult Unit for no just cause as they SACU, are trying to suppress the matter.
When contacted, the Delta State Police Command spokesperson, Edafe Bright, after denying the allegations responded to my WhatsApp message saying “Why to respond again, they already wrote to the IGP so let’s allow the process to flow”
However, Mr. Friday Jimikalaja, a cousin to the late Kingsley has denied that his brother exchanged gunshots with the police “that is not true, Kingsley was tortured openly and shot on his legs with a friend at that location and they took them away, only to shoot Kingsley again on his chest and the other boy’s head was open with what we think was a battle Axe or cutlass” urging the IG to investigate the matter.
