Death of 11-yr-old boy: Mother accuses police of releasing suspects without proper probe

A 40-year-old woman, Mrs Christy Garuba, has accused the police in Delta state of hurriedly releasing suspects arrested in connection with the death of her 11-year-old son, Joshua Sunday.

Late Joshua was gruesomely murdered in cold blood on February 3, 2023 by yet-to- identify persons in Asaba, and his body was discovered inside a drum at No 7, Usonia Street, West End, Asaba, the state capital.

The mother of the deceased, Christy Garuba, a staff of the State Police command attached to A Division Police Station, Asaba accused the Police of allegedly compromising the release the suspects without proper investigations.

She said the release of the suspects speaks volume, saying that they were denying her justice.

According to her, the Police had arrested and hurriedly released about 14 suspects while other residents in the compound were allegedly left untouched.

Mrs Garuba lamented that the Police even released the suspects before they invited her for statement.

She said when she was eventually invited by the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) one, ASP Dickson Abere to give her statement, she went with her legal counsel, because “I no longer understand the position of the case.”

The deceased’s mother while accusing the Police of poor investigation said the police neither invited nor interrogated some relevant persons, to carry out proper investigations at the scene of crime before the release of those arrested.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bright Edafe said the Police were still on the matter, but maybe the Suspects were released base on the evidence before the IPO.

According to the PPRO, “If you arrest people in a case, and there is no enough reason tracing their involvement to the matter, and you charge the matter to court, the Judge will make caricature of the Police”.