An Inspector named Bassey Ikpe has been arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command for allegedly causing the death of a widow, Mrs. Deborah Nkereuwem Nkpenie, through physical assault.
The command’s spokesperson, Odiko Macdon, revealed this in Uyo on Wednesday, stating that the Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, has instructed the Deputy Commissioner of the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) to conduct a thorough probe into the incident.
Macdon explained that the decision to investigate the alleged murder was prompted by reports in local newspapers and online media outlets within the state.
“The attention of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command has been drawn to a publication in some dailies and online media that a Police personnel attached to the Akwa Ibom State Police Command, one Inspr. Bassey Ikpe reportedly beat up one Mrs. Deborah Nkereuwem Nkpenie to death on Thursday, 16th of January, 2020.
To authenticate this serious allegation, the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Police Command, CP Imohimi Edgal has ordered the immediate arrest of the said Inspector. The Commissioner has instructed the Deputy Commissioner, State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter, while reiterating the Command’s commitment to policing with great respect for human rights” Macdon said.
The incident occurred on January 16 when the deceased was summoned by the policeman, who served as an Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in an ongoing case.
Detailing the events, Mrs. Mfonobong Peter, a sister of the deceased, recounted how the IPO allegedly entered the deceased’s bedroom and forcibly attempted to dress her up. The IPO insisted that the widow was feigning illness to avoid appearing in court.
“My late sister was beaten to death by Insp. Bassey Ikpe. He had threatened her repeatedly since this matter came up. My sister had waist pains arising from the dislocation she had while caring for her late husband. This made it difficult for her to move about freely. She had become almost bedridden because of the difficulty in movement. She was highly hypertensive due to the health complications that led to her husband’s death. But this police man refused to heed the advice of the Deputy Commissioner of Police. I don’t know what personal interest he had in the matter.
“He had forced her to come to the police station so that they could appear in court on a fictitious criminal charge, against the advice of the deputy commissioner of police the previous day. He beat my sister to death,” she alleged.
It was noted that the sister and the brother of the deceased’s late husband had brought the widow to the police concerning her late husband’s property.