Nigerian Army Reveals What Transpired Between Soldiers And Delta Policewoman’s Son Before His Death

The Nigerian Army on Saturday dismissed the alleged reports of a police officer’s son who was tortured to death by soldiers as false and a calculated attempt to tarnish the image and good works of military personnel.

It was gathered that the 24-year-old was allegedly beaten to death by some soldiers while he was travelling to a village called Ewesa in Edo State on Friday, December 10.

According to the mother of the victim, Mercy Ehima said her son was tortured at the Railway Checkpoint in the Igbanke area of the state.

Ehima, who is a senior police officer with the Delta State Police Command, disclosed that her son had unknowingly boarded a kidnappers’ vehicle.

She added that the kidnappers ran into the soldiers’ checkpoint and reversed immediately, saying that her son jumped down from the vehicle in the process and ran into the bush.

The police officer narrated her son ran to the Army checkpoint for rescue but was beaten to death by the soldiers. Mrs Ehima revealed that she met her son in a pit by the checkpoint and rushed him to the hospital.

According to Mrs Ehima, the UNIBEN student died hours later of alleged internal bleeding.

Reacting to the tragic incident, Army spokesman, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, said the Guard Commander in the state has been invited over the matter.

According to him, contrary to the misgivings peddled on social media, it became imperative to put the record straight, just as he sympathized with the family of late Christopher.

“Incontrovertible evidence indicates that Christian Ehima wandered into a military checkpoint at Wire – Ake in Edo state on the 10 December 2021, without his clothes on, and was halted by soldiers on duty.

” He was interrogated but could not say anything meaningful on where he was coming from or heading. His behaviour was rather weird and indicative of one who was obviously under some sort of influence. The Guard Commander, who observed his abnormal behavior, immediately requested for his phone in an effort to contact any of his relations, friends or associates. Shortly afterwards, a call came through to his phone and the caller identified herself as his mother.

“The soldier invited her to pick up her son, who was still very agitated and unstable. Subsequently, the woman arrived at the scene and identified herself as his mother and a police officer. She was briefed about her son’s observed abnormal behaviour.

”In her conversation with the soldiers, she attributed her son’s weird behaviour to the influence of alcohol. The soldiers, however, maintained that whatever was responsible for Christian’s behaviour at that time, was way beyond alcoholism. On sighting his mother his behavior aggravated.

”Thereafter, some passersby were mobilized to help her take him to the hospital. It is also important to state that the incident was recorded both on video and audio, showing the behaviour of Christian Ehima and his mother commending the soldiers for their kind intervention.

“The evidence, including audio recordings of the police officer and her son are attached. Surprisingly, this unfortunate incident has been falsely reported in the social media without recourse to the reality of what transpired on the said date.

“The general public are urged to disregard this misguided information, as it is clearly manipulative and evidently an attempt to bring disrepute to the NA,” the statement said.