FAMILY ALLEGES SLOW INVESTIGATION INTO SON'S DEATH

The family of a 36-year-old bus conductor, Ikeckukwu Abasirim, has expressed concern over the slow pace of the police investigation into the matter. Ikechukwu was crushed to death by a vehicle belonging to officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority. Ikechukwu, who was married with four children, was reported to have been crushed to death at Cele bus stop, along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway on Monday, October 27, 2014. It was gathered that the officers involved in the incident had been arrested

and the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos. But the family alleged that investigation into the matter was rather too slow and was being done in such a way to distort the facts of the case. Speaking on behalf of the family, a legal practitioner, Kennedy Osunwa, expressed concern over the slow pace of investigation into the matter. Osunwa said the police had yet to recover the vehicle that killed Ikechukwu. He also said the family was afraid that the case might be reduced to a hit-and-run incident.

“We are not happy with the pace of investigation into the matter. This is a serious matter because an innocent life was lost. I have written to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the SCID to obtain a copy of the police investigation report into the matter, but I have yet to get a reply.

“Up till now, the police have not recovered the vehicle that killed the deceased. We fear that if the vehicle is not recovered, the police might reduce the case to a mere hit-and-run incident, whereas the situation is far from it. The deceased was killed by officers on duty and they have been arrested. “With the slow pace of investigation, there is the tendency to distort the facts of the case to water down the incident, which in actual fact borders on executive impunity and recklessness,” he said. Earlier, the widow of the deceased, Ini Abasirim, had lamented that being a housewife; life had been difficult for her and the children since the untimely death of their breadwinner. The 74-year-old father of the deceased, Gilbert Abasirim, called on the government to come to their aid. It was gathered that Ikechukwu had yet to be buried as his body was still at the mortuary When contacted for comments, the Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, said investigation into the matter had been concluded, adding that the case file would be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.

 On the slow pace of investigation, Nwosu said, “Because of the innocent human life involved, there is the need to do a thorough job. We want to assure the family of the deceased and the public at large that justice will be done on the case.”