The remains of a student of the University of Benin, Ibrahim Momodu, who was allegedly murdered by policemen were, on Thursday, exhumed after a Magistrates’ Court sitting in Benin City granted the prayer of his family that his body be exhumed so as to ascertain how he was killed.
The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ogida Police Station in Benin City, Carol Afegbai, a Chief Superintendent of Police, was alleged to have shot Momodu.
The exhumation of the corpse was done in the presence of a pathologist who conducted the exhumation, family members of the slain student, students of the University of Benin, members of the civil societies, human rights activists and policemen from the New Benin Division, who condoned off the area while the exhumation lasted.
At the cemetery, the ground had not been dug for about one foot when the remains of Momodu was sighted, making many people to say that the corpse was hurriedly buried.
At about noon, the decomposing body was brought out and taken to the Stella Obasanjo Hospital for proper examination.
Meanwhile, the bereaved mother of the deceased, Osas Momodu, has stated that the state police command, represented by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, has paid her family a condolence visit, adding that the command assured them that it was fully committed to carrying out further investigations on the incident.
Momodu, who added that the police had adduced two reasons for the killing of her son, however called for the prosecution of the alleged killer.
The bereaved mother made the call when members of African Network for Environmental and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) led by its executive director, David Ugolor, Foundation for Good Governance and Social Change (FGGSC) led by Austin Osakwe and Gani Fawehinmi Movement for Good Governance (GFMGG) led by Kaduna Eboigbodin, paid her a condolence visit at her house in Benin City.