Victoria Mba, mother of the late 22-year-old Moses Mba, has declined a ₦5 million payment allegedly tendered by representatives of the Cross River State Government following the fatal shooting of her son by policemen attached to Governor Bassey Otu’s residence in Calabar.
Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, Mrs. Mba insisted that no monetary sum could substitute for accountability, declaring:
“They brought ₦5 million. We rejected it. Is the value of my son’s life ₦5 million? They said it was a condolence visit, but I don’t know where condolence is done with money in that way. I want justice, not money.”
The deceased, her first son, was reportedly shot on August 1 after approaching the governor’s residence with the stated intention of preaching. According to the mother, security personnel not only shot him in the leg but also subjected him to physical assault. He later died after eight days in hospital, during which plainclothes operatives were allegedly stationed in his ward.
The bereaved mother has demanded an independent autopsy to establish whether her son’s death was solely due to gunshot wounds or aggravated by the alleged beating. She further called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the security operatives involved, rejecting any attempt to “silence” her family with financial offers.
“My son was my first child, my pride, the one his siblings looked up to. They have taken him away and tried to cover it up. If they think ₦5 million will buy our silence, they don’t know me. I want justice for Moses,” she declared.
Government Response
When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Otu, Mr. Linus Obogo, confirmed that the governor had condemned the incident and directed the Commissioner of Police to investigate. He further disclosed that the officer allegedly responsible was already in custody.
On the ₦5 million issue, Mr. Obogo maintained that the payment was not intended as inducement but as a gesture of condolence.
Responding to allegations of attempted inducement, Governor Bassey Otu’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Linus Obogo, clarified that the ₦5 million presented during the condolence visit to the Mba family was intended solely to assist with burial expenses.
“When we paid the condolence visit, we felt it was only proper to support the bereaved family in terms of burial arrangements. It was not for any other reason. We could not have visited and left them empty-handed,” Obogo explained.
Police Investigation
The Cross River State Police Command has confirmed that the incident is under active investigation. The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Igri Ewa, stated that the case has attracted the governor’s attention and assured that findings will be made public.
“There was an ugly incident and the deceased is already late. Investigation will unravel. The Commissioner of Police has already addressed the matter, and the officer in question is facing internal disciplinary action. In cases like this, the DPP will issue legal advice while an autopsy is conducted in line with that advice. It is quite unfortunate because we are talking about life,” Ewa said.
Activists Demand Accountability
The killing has sparked outrage among rights advocates. The President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Mr. Debo Adeniran, condemned the act as an unlawful deprivation of life.
“Nobody has the right to take another person’s life without judicial pronouncement. The policeman responsible must be brought to book and given deterrent punishment so others will exercise caution. Extra-judicial killings erode the right to life, welfare, and security,” Adeniran said.
Similarly, the South-South Zonal Director of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Mr. John Umeh, described the death of Moses Mba as “reprehensible,” stressing that law enforcement officers are bound by training to preserve, not extinguish, human life.#newsafro_
