THE family of late Paul Obukohwo from Agbarho community, Ughelli North local government area of Delta state, has petitioned the Police Service Commission, Inspector General of Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police and the Delta State Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori over the alleged unlawful torture of their son to death in police custody.
Late Paul Obukohwo, age 24, upcoming artiste, had gone to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), office, Asaba to bail his younger brother’s friend, Mr. Prosper Odili, who was arrested by the team led by Officer Shepherd for putting on a camouflage short while on routine patrol.
The death of late Paul Obukohwo has brought serious fear and tension in the minds of Asaba residents, as a result of the death of late Obukohwo, alleged to have been tortured to death in an attempt to bail his younger brother’s friend, Mr. Prosper Odili, who was arrested by operatives of Rapid Response Squad( RRS).
In a petition by Oghenekohwo E. Odioko’s Chambers to the Commissioner of Police, Delta State, it was alleged that Officer Shepherd and his team of Rapid Response Squad, attached to the Delta State Police Command, Asaba, unlawfully detained and killed late Paul Obukohwo, for no other sin but for daring to ask the RRS team why Mr. Prosper Odili was arrested.
According to the petition, one Ejiro Obukohwo, younger brother to late Paul Obukohwo was going to work on March 26, 2025 in company of his friend, Prosper Odili, when the RRS unit in their patrol van, stopped and ordered Prosper Odili to enter their vehicle because he was on camouflage short.
The petitioner also stated that the other officers led by Officer Shepherd, having arrested Prosper Odili, took him to his house for search without search warrant. Stressing that it was at that point that late Paul Obukohwo asked the RRS team the offence Odili committed. He noted that rather than answering his question, they vowed to deal with him for daring to ask them question.
According to the petition, it was when the RRS team was taking Mr. Prosper Odili on handcuffed since they couldn’t find anything incriminating in his house to their station, that they said they are waiting for late Paul Obukohwo to tell them who gave him the effrontery to question them why Mr. Prosper Odili was arrested.
Meanwhile, Mr. Prosper Odili and Ejiro Obukohwo who were eyewitness to the incident condemned the reactions from the Delta State Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), DSP Bright Edafe, that late Paul Obukohwo as reported in the national dailies that the deceased died of low blood sugar was not acceptable and untrue.
The family in their petition, appealed to the Chairman, Police Service Commission, Inspector General of Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police and the Delta State Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to wade into the issue as we demand for a thorough investigation of the circumstances leading to the unlawful arrest and inhuman torture resulting to the death of Mr. Paul Obukohwo.
