Senate orders probe of 'killing of corps member by policeman'

The Senate, Nigeria's Upper Legislative Chamber has resolved to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Linda Igwetu, a member of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) allegedly shot dead by a police officer.

At plenary on Thursday, the Senate Committee on Youth and Sports was mandated to investigate the death, Committee on Health to investigate the non-treatment of the patient, and Committee on Police Affairs to investigate the cause of the incident.

All three committees were directed to report back to the senate in two weeks.

Mao Ohuabunwa, senator representing Abia north, had said the country is having too many trigger-happy police officers.

The senator said this on Thursday while contributing to a debate on a motion on the alleged shooting of Igwetu by a police officer in the early hours of Wednesday.

Ohuabunwa said the police should be called to order.

“It is important we call police to order because we are having too many trigger-happy policemen and they use this purely on innocent citizens instead of using it on criminals,” he said.

“I would have been happy that those criminals who charged the seven policemen maybe others would have gunned them down. I wonder and imagine the kind of trauma her family will be going through now, preparing to receive their daughter only to receive her corpse.”

Atai Aidoko, senator representing Kogi east, while moving the motion earlier, wondered why the hospital would not treat the corps member after compulsory treatment and care for victims of gunshot bill was assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“With the assent to the compulsory treatment and care for victims of gunshot bill 2017 on December 30, victims of gunshot can now receive treatment in the hospital without police report. This is a bill that has been passed and assented. Despite this, Miss Linda Angela, a corps member serving in Abuja was allegedly shot by police officers. The deceased was meant to pass out of the NYSC program today,” Aidoko said.

“She finished work late 11p.m. Tuesday and joined a few friends for a hang out before their passing out parade scheduled for today. She left for home around 3a.m. Wednesday and was shot shortly after the check point near Ceddi Plaza by a police officer who is well identified.”

On his part, Senate President Bukola Saraki said if the hospital had treated her, she would have not died.

“If they treated her, she might not have bled to death. These are deaths that easily could have been avoided and I think until we start holding people accountable to this kind of incidents, they will not stop,” Saraki said.

“Because what is the purpose of we passing the bill, the president assented to it and still hospitals will decide that. Is it that they are not well informed that such law exists.”