Ex-Finance Minister, Usman, Petitions IG over Killing of Daughter by Police

By Alex Enumah in Abuja

A former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, Monday petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IG) Ibrahim Idris, over the murder of her 31-year-old daughter, Anita Akapson, by a police officer.

In a letter through her counsel, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, the former minister, who called for a thorough investigation of the murder, threatened legal action should the police authority refused to act.

The letter, which was signed and dated October 15, 2018, read in part: “Our clients have availed us of the circumstance of the gruesome murder of their daughter, Anita Akapson, (31 years old) who was gruesomely shot at close range by a trigger-happy police officer for reasons unknown to our clients.

“It is our brief that our clients received a distress call at about 11pm on the 13th of October, 2018 by an anonymous caller who informed them that their daughter was in Gwarinpa District Hospital. But, on the arrival of our clients at the hospital, Miss Anita had died from the gunshot injuries.

“Several eye witnesses (names withheld) detailed to our clients how the deceased was trailed, targeted, intercepted, her vehicle brushed, blocked and shot at close range by a police officer while she was sitting in her vehicle (an Honda Accord Salon) at Katampe District, Abuja.

“The circumstances of the trailing, tracking and gruesome murder of the deceased who had a strong affinity with Senator Nenadi Usman, a member of the leading opposition political party in Nigeria, and who is presently facing continuous prosecutions from the states, unleashed with inattentive executive sanctions, calls for thorough and comprehensive investigation.”

Ajulo said that his clients have reasons to be apprehensive based on the circumstances as enumerated above, particularly the shielding of the suspected officer, a (superintendent of police) involved in the matter.

He posited that given the level of intimidation of opposition by the instrumentalities of the state, his clients “are worried as to the intent or possible calculated assassination of the deceased to further cause pain and anguish on the family”.

Ajulo said: “We, therefore, based on the foregoing, urge you to use your good offices to cause a comprehensive investigation of the killing and surrounding circumstances without further delay to unravel the intent and the culprits behind this mindless act.

“Sir, you will agree with us that the right to life is fundamental and non- negotiable. Nobody regardless of how highly placed should be allowed to take another person’s life and yet live freely in our society.”

They expressed the hope that the police will not sweep the matter underground in an attempt to protect the perpetrators, their sponsors and intent as they have experienced in the past inglorious days of the country.

“TAKE NOTICE that we would be left with no other option than to use the instrumentality of the law to seek justice in the death of Miss Anita Akapson if investigations are not timeously and thoroughly conducted,” he warned.

President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Security Adviser and the Chairman, Police Service Commission were all copied with the letter.