Widow seeks N200m, probe into police killing of husband

Mrs. Esther Iruoha is demanding a thorough investigation into the alleged shooting of her husband, Reuben Iruoha, by a policeman.

During cross-examination by her counsel, Elijah Nyaro, at the Justice Christopher Awubra-led public hearing on police brutality in Taraba State, yesterday, the widow also asked the police authorities to compensate her family with N200 million.

The accused police constable, Danasabe Waziri, was reportedly arrested, tried, and convicted, which led to his dismissal from the force.

Lamenting that the police gave the family only N270,000 for her late husband’s burial, the widow said: “For the past eight years, the police have not deemed it fit to come to the aid of the family.”

Describing her late spouse as the breadwinner of the family, she said life had been hell for the entire family since the man was hurriedly ushered into the grave by the trigger-happy police officer.

Passionately appealing to the panel to tread extra legitimate miles to do justice to the matter, the family, she added, had been starving since the tragic incident.

Following the various documents made available to the panel, the respondents’ counsel, David Wankari, did not object to the pleas of Nyaro, a former attorney-general of the state.

The panel had last week expressed dismay at the way the police were frustrating its sitting, following their inability to appear before it.