…Denies shooting the Policewoman Sgt. alleges set up Police Command
…Police withdraw all Policemen attached to Taskforce on Street Trading
Daniel Efe/ Port Harcourt
A Port Harcourt Magistrate Court today, April 28 remanded the dismissed trigger-happy Police Sergeant, Bitrus Osaiah, who allegedly shot and killed a female Police Sergeant Lovender Elekwachi,on Thursday April 23 at her duty post in Eneka in Obio-Akpor Local Government area.
Dismissed Sergeant Osaiah was arraigned by the Rivers State Police Command on a one count charge of murder.
Chief Magistrate Ipalibo Iyabo after hearing from the Prosecution Lawyer said the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the matter and ordered the case file be transferred to the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, for legal advice and adjourned the case and adjourned the case to May 26, 2020.
However, former Sergeant Bitrus Osaiah denied killing the Late Lovender Elekwachi.
Osaiah whose statements were not recorded because the court lacks jurisdiction to try the matter.
Osaiah claimed that he was framed by the Rivers State Police Command and that he was never at the scene of the crime.
Meanwhile, the Prosecuting Lawyer and Officer in charge of Legal Matters, Gladys Imegu stood in for the Police.
Jerome Okorie, lawyer to the late Lovender Elekwachi’s said just as the Criminal matter is going on the efforts of Police Command and the Rivers government should be encouraged.
It was observed that the accused Osaiah was not remanded in Port Harcourt Correctional Centre but the cell of the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, due to the pandemic.
Recall could be made that Osaiah was attached to the Taskforce on Illegal Markets and Street Trading allegedly shot the Late Lovender Elekwachi while enforcing road decongestion in Eneka,where Lovender Elekwachi controlled traffic.
In a related development, Rivers State Police Command says it has withdrawn all the Policemen attached to Rivers State Taskforce Force Operations pending the review of its operations.
Policemen attached to the Taskforce force operations were seen in their numbers loitering at the state headquarters at moscow road in Port Harcourt
The Police Public Relations Officer,PPRO, Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed that the men have been withdrawn in the meantime, and subject to reviews by the Inspector General of Police,IGPs directives.
He said the Policemen will be redeployed to other formations in the state to carry on with their statutory mandate of protecting lives and properties.