The family of a man identified as Phillip Brown popularly called ‘Schoolboy’ who allegedly died in the cell of the Eagle Crack unit of the Rivers State Police Command has insisted that the suspect was tortured to death by the Diobu Vigilante and police operatives.
The Tide learnt that the deceased was one of the notorious criminals, who had been terrorising the Diobu axis of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area and its environs for some time now.
It was further gathered that the deceased was nabbed while unleashing mayhem with AK-47 rifle on residents of a popular waterfront in Diobu along with members of his gang.
It was also discovered that luck ran out on the deceased when resilient and brave residents called in members of the vigilante, who cordoned off the area before swiftly enlisting the re-enforcement of police operatives to smash the operation.
The Tide learnt that with the backing of both security apparatuses, youths of the area, quickly rounded up the criminal elements, and beat them mercilessly.
While Phillip Brown could not escape the wrath of the mob, others managed to find their way out of harms’ way before the police took charge.
But an Uncle of the deceased, Mr. Daniel Malfred, who spoke on behalf of the family, last weekend, alleged that the claims of the security personnel were not accountable enough to dispel any suspicion of conspiracy, as the police formations visited initially denied knowledge of custody of the deceased.
He said that the circumstances of his death were unclear, and therefore, called on the police authorities to thoroughly investigate the circumstances leading to the death of his brother, just as he demanded the release of the deceased remains for proper burial.
Malfred expressed disappointment that the police were hiding the truth from him after he visited three stations to ascertain the news he heard about his brother’s demise.
“I heard that he died in the police station. So, I went to Mile 1 Police Station, they said such an incident never happened. I also went to E-Crack unit in Mile 1, and they also said that they were not aware of such incident.
“I went to Azikiwe Police Station in Mile 3, to get information so that we can get his body for the family to bury him. They also said that such an incident never happened. So, all the police stations we went to said they were not aware of the incident.
“But the information we gathered was that police were involved: That the Diobu Vigilante handed him over to E-Crack. I want the police commissioner to investigate this matter, and let them release his body so that we can bury him,” he stated.
But reacting to Malfred’s claims, the Chairman of Diobu Vigilante, Amatari Bipelede, told journalists in Port Harcourt that ‘Schoolboy’ was rescued half-dead from a mob at a waterfront in Port Harcourt after he was caught with an AK-47 rifle, and handed over to the police.
In his response to the family’s allegations of police involvement in the torture to death of Phillip Brown, the state Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan, dismissed the claim as false and unfounded.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt, Mukan said, “That is a misconception of the actual fact. The suspect was involved in criminal activity at the waterfront.
“The vigilante got information and informed the police. They sent their men under cover and were able to grab one of the cultists that were making life unbearable for the people there.
“There was mob action. He was beaten to stupor. Some of the vigilantes were injured. There was reinforcement, and they took him to the E-Crack station.
“Unfortunately, when he got there, he was exhausted through the mob action, and he gave up the ghost,” Mukan explained.