House of Reps in session

The House of Representatives on Wednesday, urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, to investigate, identify, arrest and prosecute its officers involved in the murder of Mr Unwobudu Sydah.

The decision of the House followed a motion by Rep. Uchehuku Knam-Obi (PDP-Rivers) on the “Urgent need to curb police brutality by arresting and prosecuting the killers of Chief Unwobudu Edima Sydah”.

Moving the motion under Matters of Urgent Public importance, the lawmaker noted the gruesome murder of Unwobudu Sydah, by a police officer on Oct. 24.

He disclosed that the deceased was driving his vehicle when he was stopped by men of the Nigeria Police, who wanted him to bribe them at a police check point by Obite Police Station in Rivers State.

Nnam-Obi further said “the deceased’s refusal to pay the bribe infuriated the police men on duty and this led to his untimely death in the hands of policemen, whose constitutional and statutory responsibility is to protect the citizenry.

“The trend of killing of drivers by men of the Nigeria Police over payment of bribe at police checkpoints all over the nation has increased tremendously.

“This attitude of police on our roads has become a genuine source of worry as these men pull the trigger at the slightest provocation.

The lawmaker, however, maintained that Nigerians were gradually losing confidence in the police.

He added that if the police hierarchy did not identify, arrest and prosecute the officers involved in the killing, it had the potential of creating civil unrest.

The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara.

The House, however, mandated its Committee on Police Affairs to liaise with the Police Service Commission and the police hierarchy, to curb the embarrassing behaviour of bribe taking by police men on duty on the roads and highways across the country.

The House also observed a one minute silence in honour of the innocent, law abiding and harmless soul brutally murdered in the struggle for his daily bread.

Sydah, who was a two-term Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Ahoada Region, was in his taxi when he was allegedly shot dead by a police officer over N100 bribe.