The household of 23-year-old Asher Christopher has known as for an intensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding his demise contained in the Nigeria Nationwide Petroleum Firm workplace constructing positioned alongside Moscow Street, Port Harcourt.
His father, Dan Christopher, mentioned he’s shocked that up till now he had not seen the corpse of his son, who he mentioned is a cleaner and informal employee with the corporate.
Christopher, whereas talking with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Thursday, mentioned his youthful son put a name throughout to him at about 4:15 pm on Tuesday {that a} colleague of Asher Christopher known as him and that he ought to come to the police station at outdated GRA as a result of the police wanted him.
The daddy acknowledged, “I requested what occurred. My son mentioned he didn’t know. Once I received there, I requested Asher the place they searched, they didn’t see my son’s title on the listing on the Police station. I needed to ask my son, who known as his brother’s (Asher’s) colleague once more. He now known as the particular person to know if it was the outdated GRA Police station.
“The particular person mentioned I ought to come to the surveillance workplace upstairs on the Previous GRA Police station. I waited until 7 pm, and one of many policewomen advised me to return again on Wednesday.
“On Wednesday, the police advised me my son was useless. In order that they took me and my spouse, together with different individuals, to the corporate (NNPC) at Moscow Street, the place he’s working as a cleaner. So I requested the place my son fell from. They mentioned no one is aware of if he fell from the second, third, fourth, seventh, or final flooring.
“I requested them what the boy regarded like. They mentioned he wasn’t carrying a shirt. So I requested them to point out me the place. They confirmed me the place and I took photos. I regarded on the place, there isn’t a signal that someone fell from there.”
The distraught man mentioned he requested them to inform him what occurred earlier than the boy fell.
Christopher added, “I requested for his garments and so they mentioned no one noticed the garments. Once I received to the primary flooring, I noticed the boy’s slippers along with the garments. My son is a cleaner on this firm. I snapped it and advised them I wished to see the boy’s corpse to substantiate if it was my son or not.
“The police took us again and took us to the mortuary, however they didn’t permit me to see my son within the mortuary.
“I would like justice. I wish to see my son’s corpse. How can someone die and over 24 hours, his dad and mom haven’t seen him? How can they take my son to the mortuary with out consulting his household?
When contacted, the spokesperson of the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, saying an investigation into the matter had commenced.
She acknowledged, “Sure, we’re conscious of the incident. The household reported the matter on the outdated GRA Police Station. The corpse of the boy has been deposited on the mortuary and an investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding his demise.”
In the meantime, a rights group, the Centre for Fundamental Rights Safety and Accountability marketing campaign, has known as for an intensive investigation into the matter to establish what occurred.
The Nationwide Coordinator, Prince Wiro, queried why the incident was not reported to the Central Police Station in control of the jurisdiction by the corporate.
Wiro known as on the State Commissioner of Police to wade into the incident by ordering the switch of the case file to the State Felony Investigation and Intelligence Division, Port Harcourt, saddled with the duty of investigating culpable murder.
He added, “We’ve met with the dad and mom of the deceased. We demand an intensive investigation into what led to the demise of the younger man.
“We’re questioning why the matter was reported to a surveillance unit inside outdated GRA that’s suspected to not be underneath the Rivers State Police Command.
“We use this medium to name on the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Olatunji Disu, to wade into this matter and direct that the case file be transferred to the State Felony Investigation and Intelligence Division for thorough investigation.”