Late Mechanic: Police Make U-Turn, Apologise Over Fake Autopsy Claim

The Rivers State Police Command has apologized over what it termed misleading statement on the cause of death of late Ikoku mechanic, Chima Ikwunado, who died in the custody of operatives of Eagle Crack Unit of the state command.
It would be recalled that the Pathologist of the Rivers State Police Command, Musa Stevens, who performed an autopsy on the body of Chima at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) mortuary, last Monday, had clarified that there were no incisions or cuts to show that previous autopsy had been done on the late mechanic’s corpse to determine the cause of death.
Speaking to newsmen, spokesman of the state police command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, said the statement he earlier issued claiming high sugar level as the cause of death of the late mechanic was sequel to the report of interrogation produced by SP Benson Adetuyi, who was the commander of the E-Crack Unit.
Omoni further said the command was startled and embarrassed that the E-Crack Commander could lie to the Commissioner of Police and Force Headquarters in the manner concerning the death of a detainee in his custody.
‘’When this incident happened, we called SP Benson Adetuyi as the video went viral, and asked him what happened? He said ‘they were investigating a case of armed robbery’. He said that ‘the suspects were intercepted and taken to the station’. He also said that ‘they were interrogated and detained in the cell; and that in the cause of interrogation, Chima eventually died in custody’.
“He (Adetuyi) said when he took him (Chima) to the hospital, autopsy was conducted and it was revealed that he died of high sugar level. I am quoting him. That was what he said that day. So, based on that, when I was interviewed on radio, I made reference to him that that was what he told me.
“The same man told the CP (Commissioner of Police) the same thing. When the Force (Police) Public Relations Officer (PRO) called him and his team, all of them to Abuja, he also said the same thing. So, we are startled when we got to know the other day that no autopsy was earlier conducted.
“I mean we were thrown aback. In that my statement, I equally said that we are not going to rely 100 per cent on what he told us, that the CP had ordered full scale investigation into the matter.

By: Dennis Naku