By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka in Abuja
Renowned lawyer, Amobi Nzelu Esq., has vowed to continue standing for victims of injustice, as he recalled his pro bono representation of families of the six Apo market traders killed by the police in Abuja in June 2005.
Nzelu, a private legal practitioner called to the Nigerian Bar in 1980, said the case began after he was prompted in a dream to “go and tell the world that those that were killed were not armed robbers.”
According to him, it was later confirmed that families were seeking legal help, and that was how he got involved in the matter which he later documented in his book, Apo Six Plus One: The Tragedy of a Nation
He said the first petition was written to the Acting Inspector-General of Police at the time, Gabriel Ehindaro, leading to the setting up of an Administrative Board of Enquiry Inquiry headed by DIG Mike Okiro to investigate the incident.
Nzelu told journalists that he pressurized the panel to exhume the corpses and conduct autopsies, despite initial resistance on grounds of lack of funds.
A key breakthrough, he said, came with the appearance of a photographer, Chukwudi Chukwu, who produced photographs of the slain traders taken on the day of the incident, contradicting police claims that no such photographs doesen’t exist.
During proceedings, Nzelu said he confronted officers with the photos, forcing admissions that made government of the day to dissolve the police panel headed by Okiro and in its place set up Judicial Commission of Enquiry, headed by a serving judge, Hon Justice O.O. Goodluck, Justice of Court of Appeal and four other members, namely, Retired DIG Parry Osayande, Brig Gen Okunbo, Chief Osita Okeke and Hauwa. At the end of the enquiry, they recommended among others, the prosection of the eight police officers for first degree murder.
Nzelu said the government later exhumed the corpses, conducted autopsies which confirmed they were killed by high-velocity missiles consistent with assault rifles AK 47. They also recommended compensation, which were paid to the deceaseds’ families.
The exhumed corpses which were by the government at the Garki General Hospital in Abuja, were released to the families of the deceased, through their lawyer, Amobi Nzelu Esq for burial in their respective states.
Of the six of them that were killed by the police, five of them were from Enugu state, and one from Anambra State, while the only girl, Augustina Arebo was from Edo State. The government provided the logistics for their burials, ambulances to their various states on 14th of December, 2905 for befitting burial.Apo-six, 20 years after, Nzelu vows to keep fighting for victims of injustice
“It is worthy of note to state that a police officer, by name Anthony Idam, from. Ebonyi State, was also poisoned by the killers m, so that he wouldn’t divulge evidence. The late Anthony Idam was the police vehicle who saw all that happened that day. And because he was of extraction amongst nine of them that killed those people, he as poisoned to death. The autopsy report said so that he was killed due to organophosphates poison.
The lawyer said he has continued to use the case to advocate for justice and accountability, adding: “Ndigbo don’t kill. We are hardworking people. Let truth speak, and let the dead rest.”
