Orchardson Umoh, a human rights activist, has urged the police to investigate the 2018 Ayilamo Saga event in Benue State, in which some officers were attacked and killed while conducting an operation in the region.
Umoh asserted this in a petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, dated February 11, regarding the handling of the incident, which was made accessible to journalists in Calabar, Cross River State’s capital, on Thursday.
According to the petition, 23 police officers from Mopol Unit 33 in Ado Ekiti and the Imo Safer Highway Unit were ambushed during an operation to protect lives and property in the town.
The lawyer stated that seven years after the occurrence, tranquility had eluded both the survivors of the attack and the families of the murdered officers.
He added that during the attack, more than 12 of them were slain, with several abducted by militias or bandits.
According to him, “There is a need to make a closure of the incident by recovering and returning the corpses of those who lost their lives for proper burial and the protection and care of the survivors.
“Sir, the very sad incident that we are writing to your office about was well publicized in the Nigerian media space and has been followed by write-ups encompassing and reflecting the despair of relatives of those who were killed or who are still missing or whose bodies have not been recovered, dead or alive. Sadly, it appears that not enough attention has been given to this incident.
“The scale of the entire incident demanded that such questions as what actually happened, how it happened, who was involved, and the actions taken be asked and answered.
“In other words, a proper investigation ought to have been conducted to provide more insight into the incident and determine if there were any lapses or other factors that contributed to or culminated in the incident and identify any safety or operational policies that may have been violated.”
According to him, police will have more information to prevent or control similar events in the future.
