The Benue State Police Command has revealed that the 19-year-old boy, Peter Onminyi, who was allegedly killed by men of the Operation Zenda unit of the command was into kidnapping and died during a confrontation between it and kidnappers in the area.
The Police Public Relations of the Benue State command, Catherine Anene, told our correspondent on Thursday that the boy was into kidnapping and that “the police went there for an arrest and in the process, one of the boys started exchanging gunfire with the police” leading to his death.
However, Mr Joseph Onminyi, Peter’s father, has cried for justice alleging that his son was killed by the police in the presence of the family members on May 19, 2024, at about 8 pm while having dinner at their residence located at the Welfare Quarters, Makurdi.
Speaking to PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, the father alleged that some policemen invaded their residence, shot the young man to death and went away with his corpse.
While crying out for justice, Pa Onminyi demanded an immediate release of the body of their son to be given a decent burial according to the Idoma traditional rites and customs.
He said, “We demand the immediate release of the items evacuated from our house and make us have access to our home because we have been badly traumatised and tired of sleeping outside our house.
The father, a retired civil servant, who described his son as “a complete gentleman”, said he had yet to be informed of any offence committed by his son to have warranted him being killed by policemen in the presence of the family members.
He said, “I am Mr. Joseph Onminyi, the father of the deceased Peter Onminyi, whom the police shot to death on May 19, 2024, in my own house, not even outside.
“No reason was given by the police for their actions. They didn’t ask or tell anybody about the offence he committed, rather they just killed him while he was eating at the dining hall.
“The police could not approach me, the father, or ask any of my children seated with me in the room what offence my son committed. They just jumped through the fence of my house and after entering the house, they started shooting sporadically and also shot at one of my sons who was eating at the dining table.
“Not only that, after shooting him, they took him away and evacuated all the home properties, including the radio, refrigerator, washing machine, gas cooker, a cylinder as well as two motorcycles and every other thing in the house.”
He said the action could be termed an armed robbery because the police came unannounced and nobody was informed of what they came for. “Whether they came to check anything or they came to investigate anyone, they didn’t say anything, rather they shot and killed my innocent child.
“After killing him, the police still took his body away to an unknown destination. Up till this moment, I don’t know where my son’s lifeless body is. Besides that, the police still shut down my house,” he lamented.
But when contacted on Thursday, the state PPRO, Anene, countered the claims of extrajudicial killing of the teenager, saying that it was a case of “someone involved in kidnapping and armed robbery.”
She said, “I am aware of the case which involved a boy who is into kidnapping. I think the police went there for an arrest and in the process, one of the boys started exchanging gunfire with the operatives and in the process, he was killed.
“However, I am not sure of the name but I will still get back to you. This happened around the Welfare Quarters in the Makurdi area.”
As of the time of submitting the report, the PPRO had not got back to PUNCH Metro as promised.
