Two Sons Killed by Police Four Years Apart, Delta Mother Cries Out for Justice

A grieving mother in Delta State, Mrs Oghenemine Ogidi, has narrated how her two sons were shot dead by police officers four years apart, leaving her with ony the hope of divine consolation.

The latest victim, her son Mene, a musician, was killed by a police officer in Effurun, Warri, on Tuesday. His elder brother was also shot dead by police four years ago, in June 2022, at the age of 18.

Mrs Ogidi, speaking from her home, said she first learnt of Mene’s ordeal when she heard a voice on the radio pleading with an officer. She initially recognised the voice but her children tried to shield her from the truth. It was later confirmed that Mene had been shot in the leg and hand.

On Wednesday morning, after returning from church, she saw a crowd in her compound and feared the worst. “This is not the first time such an incident has happened to me,” she said, recalling the death of her first son.

According to the mother, after Mene was shot, bystanders carried him to the Ekpan Police Station. There, without informing any superior, an officer cocked his gun and shot him three more times. In total, she said, her son was shot five times.

The police authorities later visited her and claimed that the officer responsible had been dismissed and would face judgment as a civilian. However, as of the time of this report, the family has not been shown the corpse of Mene, nor have his two mobile phones been returned.

Mrs Ogidi rejected the idea of monetary compensation, stating that no amount of money could replace the son who cared for her during illness, cleaned her urine and faeces, and promised to take her around the world.

She demanded that the policeman who killed her son receive the same fate  five bullets in his body  and insisted that she would want to witness it. “They should be punished and tied the way they tied my son, like a stockfish, before he was killed,” she said.

The grieving mother also called on the police to investigate those who allegedly set up her son, including the individuals who handled a waybill connected to the incident. She vowed to appeal any judgment that does not deliver justice for her slain son.

Mrs Ogidi further urged the government to take firm action against extrajudicial killings, arguing that when police officers are punished for such acts, others will be deterred. “The police, most times, take the law into their own hands without allowing justice to take its due course,” she said.

Despite her pain, she said she remains strong only by the grace of God.