Lawyer to late Anita Akapson's family asks Police IG to reveal identities of officers who killed her

Some accounts say she was killed while standing in-front of her house, while others say she was killed while in her car by policemen who thought she was an armed robber.

31-year-old Anita later died as a result of the bullet wound that same Saturday at the Gwarimpa General Hospital.

IG orders investigation

Following public outcry, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim idris orderedhat the policemen involved be detained.

The family of the deceased has however called on the Police IG to reveal the identities of the policemen involved in the gruesome killing.

According to Punch, the family’s lawyer, Kayode Ajulo said the police have to be transparent.

Ajulo said “It is pertinent to let you know that the late Anita was murdered sitting inside her car. Yes, she was shot through the driver’s side door of the car with the bullet passing through her abdomen, after the killer policemen had shot one of the car tyres. While we appreciate the fact that the Inspector-General of Police has ordered the detention and investigation of the officers involved in the killing of Anita, we demand the identity of the officers. For a transparent judicial process, the police authorities ought to make the identities of the policemen known so as to avoid a situation where they will ‘miraculously’ escape from detention.”

Debunks police narrative

The family lawyer also said the narrative that Miss Akapson struggled with the policeman who shot her is false.

According to him, “What has been peddled is that there was a bit of struggle, but we won’t like to pre-empt the investigation. One thing that is clear is that the lady was sitting in her car and she was shot. Before then, the car was waylaid, intercepted and brushed; the impact is still there.

“The car was blocked by the police, so the question is, ‘who is running away that you now chose to kill her in the car?’ As it is, as a lawyer, we would like to know what the police are coming out with as their findings because the rumour we were hearing was that there was an armed robbery attack somewhere and maybe, she was being suspected.

“If you suspect somebody of being a robber, something must have happened; maybe you saw her running, you can now assume she might be a suspect. But someone sitting in her car, after you have demobilised the car, shot the tyres, you shot her right inside the car.

“What kind of country are we running? Like I said earlier, we are waiting for the outcome of police investigation, but we just need to let the police know that we knew what happened. Of course, the family got an independent investigator to pick everything, the pellets, we have been able to secure the whole thing, but one thing is that a life full of potential has been cut short by the bullets of the Nigeria Police. That is one thing we cannot take away from the whole thing, no matter the reasons given.”

Independent prosecutor

The family’s lawyer also said that an independent investigator should be allowed to handle the prosecution of the officers.

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“We demand an independent prosecutor to handle the prosecution of the officers. History has shown that the police can go to any length to protect their own, and this may not be different.

Till date, nothing substantial has been done in the prosecution of the officer that killed Ms. Linda Igwetu, the NYSC member in July this year. We urge that this matter should not be swept under the carpet because as a family, we are willing to go to any length to get justice for our daughter,” he added.

Anita Akapson returned to Nigeria recently, after her studies in the United Kingdom and was working with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) before she was killed.