Seventeen years after the tragic killing of 15-year-old Emmanuel Egbo in Enugu, the family of the late teenager is still seeking justice. Emmanuel was reportedly shot dead extrajudicially by a police officer in September 2008, in what eyewitnesses described as an unprovoked act.
According to accounts, Emmanuel had been playing with his peers outside his uncle’s residence when three police officers approached. Witnesses said one of the officers suddenly pulled out his firearm and shot the boy, alleging—without evidence—that he was an armed robber.
Civil rights group Civil Liberty Organization (CLO) submitted petitions demanding accountability, while Emmanuel’s relatives made repeated visits to the police station. However, the family later discovered that the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in charge of the case had been redeployed, and they were informed that the case had been closed.
The family described the experience as heartbreaking. “The police officer told us that the boy was an armed robber and the case had been closed. It was a nightmare to us to learn of this development,” a relative told Amnesty International.
The tragedy deepened in August 2009 when Emmanuel’s family learned that his body had gone missing from the mortuary where it had been deposited. As of November 2009, his remains have still not been recovered, leaving the family without closure.
The case highlights long-standing concerns around police brutality, lack of accountability, and enforced disappearances in Nigeria. Human rights groups continue to call for justice for Emmanuel and others who have suffered similar fates.
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