Family of dead Lagos police officer confronts Nigerian Navy, demands justice

Hezekiah Abiona, an assistant superintendent of police, was fatally stabbed by two naval ratings in the Satellite Town neighborhood of Lagos State, and his family claims that Nigerian Navy officials deserted him.

The ratings, which included Onyekachi Egwin and Nnamani Anointing, were reportedly riding a motorcycle while wearing muftis when Abiona and his colleagues flagged them down on Oluti Street in Satellite Town.

According to reports, the ratings became enraged by the policemen’s behavior, and a fight broke out between them.

On December 3, 2022, the disagreement turned physical, and during the melee, the ratings are accused of stabbing Abiona.

The attacker’s injuries caused the policeman to pass away, but the suspects were captured by members of the Lagos State Police Command.

Benjamin, Abiona’s son and a final-year student at Tai Solarin University of Education, told Newsmen that the Nigerian Navy’s officials pretended not to know about the traumatic ordeal the late officer’s family was going through.

After the two ratings attacked and killed their family’s breadwinner, he claimed that they had been abandoned and that the Nigerian Navy had yet to offer them support or a condolence visit.

“To date, my mum cries that naval officers are yet to show concern or even send a delegation to the family; they didn’t even bother. It was like they killed a fowl.

“The trauma is still very much for us. Nobody has shown up for us. My siblings and I are all still in school, nobody has asked for us,” Benjamin said.

He clarified that he had observed the suspects during the investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Panti, Yaba, and said that nothing had been heard of the case after the police turned the suspects over to the Nigerian Navy for further investigation and prosecution.

While bemoaning the situation, the resentful son wanted justice for his deceased father.

The 25-year-old said, “We are demanding justice for the way the naval officers abandoned us. I want justice for my dad. I don’t want them to hide the suspects, with the way it is going now, it looks like they are hiding them.

“It has taken over six months now. This issue happened on December 3, 2022, and we are already in June 2023. We want those ratings charged for the crime.

“My father was one of the cops that was rewarded with commendation letters and N250,000 each by the former governor of the state, Akinwunmi Ambode, for recovering N5m that fell off a bullion van around Alausa, Ikeja.”

Esther, the deceased’s wife, cried uncontrollably and claimed that she had been left in the hands of fate, adding that since their breadwinner was dead, providing for and raising her children had become an impossible chore.

The mother of five said, “Since December, I have been expecting a reaction from the authorities but nothing. I want them and the government to help my children because they are still small. If they can put the children on scholarships, it will help.”