Elisha Agida, a police officer attached to the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, has threatened to arrest Confidence Leera, brother of Edward, a young man tortured to death by men of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Akwa Ibom State.
On Wednesday, Confidence tried to draw the attention of the Nigeria Police to his late brother’s case by posting the link to FIJ’s investigation on his death in a comment section of the Police Facebook page.
Shortly after posting the link, Agida sent Confidence a personal message on Facebook, hurling insults and threats at him.
“You are a big criminal and fool,” Agida wrote to Confidence via Facebook Messenger. “I must arrest you, big criminal. You are on the Police wanted list.”
In October 2020, the Akwa Ibom State IRT, led by Samuel Martins, detained Edward against court orders till he died in custody. Up till now, the Police are yet to release an autopsy to ascertain the cause of Edward’s death.
This is not the first time Confidence would be threatened by security operatives in his pursuit of justice over his brother’s extrajudicial murder.
READ ALSO: Abba Kyari’s Men Tortured Edward Leera to Death. Now, They Want to Cover it Up
In October 2020, Confidence was phoned to drop the case against the Police or lose his life. She had reached out to Abba Kyari, the then head of the IRT, but he refused to take any action until Edward was tortured to death.
Speaking with FIJ on Thursday, Agida initially denied threatening to arrest Confidence but later admitted it, claiming he was angry.
“I don’t cause trouble. I know there are bad police officers but there are also good ones,” he said. “I abused him when he said all police officers were criminals and that he would deal with me.”
EDWARD’S WIFE LOSES HOPE
On August 14, Lemena, the deceased’s wife expressed sadness over the unwillingness of the Nigeria Police to prosecute officers linked to her husband’s death.
“I have not heard anything about the case since then and I have now lost faith,” she told FIJ. “No phone calls or anything. This has not been easy for me at all.”
Leera’s case against the Akwa Ibom IRT is currently before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Abuja. The case was adjourned to April 12 before the suspension of NHRC panel on March 24.
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