Delta: Mother petitions AIG Zone 5 over murder of 11-year-old son

Christy Zaniatu Garuba, the mother of an11-year-old boy, Joshua Sunday, who was allegedly murdered has petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 5, Benin City, Edo State, asking for a transparent investigation to unravel the killers.

The petition followed failure of Delta State Police Command to prosecute suspects arrested in connection with the killing of the 11-year-old.

Late Joshua was murdered in cold blood on February 3, 2023, by yet to identified persons, and his lifeless body was discovered inside a drum at No 7, Usonia Street, West end, Asaba.

The mother of the deceased, a civilian Staff of Delta State Police Command attached to A division, Asaba, in the petition through an Asaba-based legal practitioner, Abere Brideba,  a copy of which was made available to The Guardian at the weekend in Asaba,  expressed dissatisfaction over the way and manner the case was being handled by the Delta State Police Command.

She alleged that the Police were compromised in the matter by releasing 14 suspects so far arrested without proper investigations.

Garuba said: “We are seeking justice at Zone 5 because we have carefully watched the entire situation and feel strongly dissatisfied; hence we demand that the case file and suspects be transferred to Zone 5”.

According to the petitioner, at the SCID Asaba homicide department, she observed that the Police purportedly arrested some suspects but hurriedly released them on bail when they had not even obtained her statement. And some relevant persons who ought to have been invited and questioned were not arrested either.

She said: “On Thursday, February 2, 2023, as usual, late Joshua assisted her during the morning hours for cleaning up before I travelled to the Nigeria Army 19 Battalion, Okitipupa, to process documentation of my younger brother, who died in active service in the unfortunate Boko Haram crisis as I am the next of kin.”

Christy Garuba said that she was in constant communication with her son on phone on her way back. When she placed further calls to her son, shockingly her son was no longer picking the said calls.

Upon arrival, her son was not at home, and she asked the girl staying with her about Joshua’s whereabouts, the girl said she too had just returned from work and had not seen him, but only met his MP3 music player on the floor of the passage.

She said: “At the passage (corridor) where her son stayed last, she observed that his palm slippers were at different positions, his MP3 player in the room and GSM phone was ringing without answer.”

“In view of the confusion, I asked my nearest neighbour who confirmed that she heard a voice of a small girl telling Joshua “come now, come now”, but all attempts to know my son’s whereabouts failed.

“On February 5, I travelled to Enugu for prayers, on my way, I was called back by a neighbour that  my son had been brought home.

“However, as I returned home, only to see my son’s decomposing body inside my drum and I fainted and only regained consciousness  at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Asaba after receiving treatment.”