IG orders probe of politician’s murder, but family kicks

The Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, has directed the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Police Command, Mr Ibrahim Tsafe, to investigate the alleged murder of Ogbe Onokpite, the candidate of the Citizens Popular Party (CPP) in the Delta State 2007 and 2011 gubernatorial elections.

Mr Onokpite  died of  gunshot wounds, believed to have been fired by police officers, on November 26 2011.

However, the families of the deceased are protesting Mr. Ringim’s directive, through their counsel, Festus Keyamo, saying Mr. Tsafe could not be trusted to do a good job of the investigation.

In a statement today in Abuja, Mr Keyamo said the Delta Police commissioner was not likely to give the family a fair hearing.

They accused Mr Tsafe of calling a press conference a few hours after the incident where he claimed Mr Onokpite was killed in a cross-fire with the police, without waiting for proper investigation.

Mr. Keyamo said the commissioner’s claim was at variance with the accounts of various eye witnesses who said the late politician was killed in cold blood.

“The role the Commissioner of Police, Delta State, played in this sordid affair will also be a subject of the investigation and as such, he cannot be a judge in his own case” the statement said.

“Consequently, we are calling on the Inspector-General of Police to re-assign the case to another team in the Force Headquarters Abuja, who should also investigate the role of the Commissioner of Police of Delta State in the cold blooded murder of Ogbe Onokpite,” Mr. Keyamo added.