Release corpse of late Ayok for burial now – Panel orders police, AIG Mbu rtd

…nullifies banishment of Paramount Ruler of Etung

The judicial panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality and Restitution sitting in Calabar, has ordered the Nigerian Police and Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG (rtd) Joseph Mbu to immidiately release corpse of late Ayok Etta, Etta to family of deceased for burial.

The panel also ordered the Rtd. AIG to allow Etung Paramount Ruler, HRH Ntui Atue Dr. Emmanuel Oru Ojong to access his community so that he can spend the Christmas and new year with his kinsmen.

Chairman of the panel, Rtd. Justice Emmanuel Edem gave the orders at the last sitting of the panel for 2020 where where counsels to the petitioner, Fakuta Nachamada & Associates vs Otu Ubangha Ubi Esq. argued on behalf of respondent took place at the conference Hall of the Cross River State Ministry of Justice.

In the same vein the panel also nullified the purported banishment of the Etung Paramount Ruler, HRH Ntui Atue Dr Emmanuel Oru Ojong who claimed to have been chased out from his domain in the last two years.

According to the panel,denying the royal father access to his domain, infringes on his fundamental Human right as enshrined in the constitution of federal republic of Nigeria and ordered the police to grant him unfettered access to his domain/ ancestral home where he could interact freely with his kinsmen instead of remaining outside his domain like a fugitive.

The order is sequel to a petition submitted to the judicial panel by the Paramount Ruler of Etung LGA in Cross River State, HRM Ntui Atue Dr Emmanuel Oru through his counsel, Fakuta Nachamada & Associates to seek for redress and injustice done against him by the respondent.

In a petition JUD/PAN/INQ/O57/2020, summited to the panel on November 4, with a title; “Intimidation, harassment, detention and usurpation of the functions of the Paramount Ruler of Etung by Rtd. AIG Joseph Mbu,through the use of men of the Nigeria police,the petition urged Mbu and his cohorts to refrain from intimidating the monarch.

Part of the petition reads,”On 24/12/2018 during Christmas Eve celebration masquerades were in display along Bendeghe-Ekim/Abia road.

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“AIG (Rtd) Mbu Joseph stopped his convoy personally shot at and killed one Ayuk Etta Etta who was robbing charcoal on his body in preparation to wear masquerade costumes.

“Boys present carried the corpse of Ayuk Etta Etta and took it to AIG Rtd Mbu’s house at Abia.

“Upon sighting these boys Mbu ordered his policemen to shoot and they started firing, and the bullet hit one of the locals, Oyom Ngon on the leg which became bad that it had to be amputated.

“The director of public prosecutions recommended the prosecution big AIG Mbu, however he used the police and intimidated witnesses from coming forth to testify.

“In January 2019 AIG Mbu preferred 20 trumped up charges against our client, found him guilty and fined him 10 million naira, 4 live cows or else our clients cocoa farm would be seized.

“On the 8th February 2020 caused the broadcast purportedly exiling our client from Abia community.

“AIG Rtd MBU has harassed and intimidated our client using policemen and our client had to run away from his domain and is presently seeking refuge in Ikom”, the petition maintained.

According to the petitioner, the retired AIG has right whatsoever to be used policemen who were being paid with taxpayers money to intimidate, harass, and kill the same citizens whose tax money were used by the government to fund the police.

The petitioner demanded for thorough investigation into the allegations levelled against Rtd. AIG Mbu and “his policemen” and possibly autopsy on the body of late Ayok Etta Etta so that Mbu can be made to fave the full weight of the law and possibly make restitution be persecuted for wrongfully banishing the Etung monarch.

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