Alex Ogwu, a journalist, Bwari Area Council community mobilizer, was executed by the Nigeria Police about two years ago (20 January, 2020), at Berger roundabout, while he was covering police brutality, against the peaceful protesting members of Islamic Movement In Nigeria(IMIN)
The IMIN, was protesting the detention of their leader El-Zakzaky.
For two years since this execution, the family, friends and associates of Alex Ogwu, have not gotten justice.
Addressing the press at Social Action office Wuse 2, Nigerians Against Bad Policies (NABP), a coalition of left organisations in Abuja.), accused the Nigeria Police, Utako division of being responsible for the execution of Alex and called on the IGP, to fishout the trigger happy officer that executed Alex.
NABP also lamented the delay in the Enforcement of Fundamental Right Proceeding brought against the Police by the wife of Alex. According to the group, the Judge hearing the matter had been elevated to Court Appeal, the matter had been sent to the Chief Judges office for reassignment and as at press time, the matter is yet to be assigned. They appealed to the CJ of FCT High Court, to in the interest of justice, to speedily re-asign the matter.
Below, is the press statement;
ALEX OGWU:TWO YEARS OF INJUSTICE
Dear men and women of the media, comrades, friends and well-meaning Nigerians, we welcome you all to this press conference with sincere gratitude. Your presence here, we must admit, shows your willingness to always answer the call of truth; we hope to always enjoy this generous gesture of support for the truth and justice. Giving the current wave of attacks on democratic rights of citizens and imposition of anti-people policies, the role of the media in acting as watch-dogs of the government cannot be overemphasized.
The Nigerians Against Bad Policies (NABP) organizes this press conference to mourn the gruesome murder of our dear Comrade Alex Ogwu two years ago. Please recall that Comrade Alex Ogwu was murdered on January 20, 2020 at Berger Roundabout, Abuja during the protest by members of the Shiites group to demand the release of their illegally detained leader by the Buhari regime. We have come to learn that this atrocity was perpetrated by Policemen from the Utako Police Division. Instead of commencing due investigation into our allegation, the Nigeria Police Force embarked on a mischievous game of denial. Who shot Alex Ogwu? They said it could not have been the Policemen because…. Well, we are yet to get an answer. However, we know protesters don’t shoot at fellow protesters, we know protesters don’t point gun at fellow protesters. From our sad experience, it has always been the Police Force and other armed forces of the government who have been responsible for different attacks on innocent protesters.
Comrade Alex Ogwu was fallen by the bullet of the Nigerian Police, two years after justice is still being denied. We remain undaunted in our quest to seek justice. The Nigerians Against Bad Policies (NABP) demands the commencement of diligent investigation over the issues surrounding the murder of Comrade Alex Ogwu. We hold that this investigation must be done with the active involvement of civil society organizations, representatives of unions like NUJ, medical unions and other interested unions.
Also, we demand adequate compensation for the family of Late Comrade Alex who have had to live through these two years of pain and irreplaceable loss. Comrade Alex was survived by wife and a young daughter.
We use this opportunity to reiterate our call for justice. Without prosecution of the officers who perpetrated this atrocity, justice is yet to be done. Over the last two years, we have had a press conference to explain our pain to the world, we have organized a protest to demand for justice. Instructively, many persons who saw us during this protest at Berger Roundabout alluded to the event that led to the murder of late Comrade Alex and the notorious role of the Policemen as perpetrators of this heinous act. We have summited petitions to various relevant agencies, including the Police Force. We were embraced with criminal silence. To worsen a bad situation, the case instituted in court has been deliberately frustrated to ensure that we are denied justice.
POLICE BRUTALITY CONTINUES…
Two years after Comrade Alex fell victim of the brutality of the Police, countless Nigerians have met similar fate in different degrees. So bad is the unabated brutality on Nigerians by the Police that it ignited a mass movement of thousands of Nigerians. These movement, known as the Endsars, confirms our allegation of the Nigerian Police and state of being guity of police brutality against citizens. That the EndSars movement was met with brutalities of different horrific degrees shows the Government and state armed forces are guilty of brutality. We understand police brutality to be an irrseparable feature of a state in the hands of few individuals who are hellbent on holding on to power and the resources meant for the masses through all brutal means. This is why it is always easy for protesters to be attacked and killed while bandits, kidnappers and other criminals continue to roam about freely. This is why we are committed to the struggle to have a better society where the resources of the society will bw democratically owned and managed by the mass of people to serve their interest.
OUR DEMANDS:
1. Commencement of diligent investigation into the cruel murder of late Comrade Alex Ogwu
2. An investigation with the active involvement of activists, unions etc
3. Due compensation for the young family of Late Comrade Alex
4. A democratic police union where police officers have the right to make relevant decisions and also fight for their interest.
5. An end to police brutality, attack of protesters etc.
6. An end to attack on media organisations
SIGNED;
NIGERIANS AGAINST BAD POLICIES
