Comrade Israel Joe, a Delta State-based activist popularly known as TableBreaker, has called for justice for Justin, an Easy-Buy phone sales agent popularly known as Biggie, who allegedly died after being assaulted by a phone buyer and three other persons in Abraka, Delta State.
The alleged principal suspect in Biggie’s death has now been arrested and taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation, according to information provided by Joe.
In a series of public statements, Joe accused officers of the Abraka Divisional Police Headquarters of failing to respond promptly to reports made before Biggie’s death. He alleged that the victim’s wife was asked to provide money to facilitate the arrest of the suspects.
Joe said the Commissioner of Police in Delta State subsequently requested details of the incident and directed the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to pursue the suspects.
In this interview with The WHISTLER, Joe discusses Biggie’s death, the allegations against the police, the arrest of the alleged principal suspect and the family’s search for justice among other issues. EXCERPTS:
What prompted you to take up the case of Justin, popularly known as Biggie, and why has it become a major concern for you?
The family reached out to me seeking justice after losing someone who was important to them. From the information made available to me, Biggie was an Easy-Buy agent who sold a phone to a customer in Abraka. The customer allegedly refused to pay, and the phone was subsequently shut down to compel payment.
The buyer reportedly promised that the phone would be reopened on a working day, but Biggie allegedly encountered him on the road during the same weekend. According to the account given to me, the buyer and three other persons attacked him and beat him until he became unconscious.
He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His wife reportedly went to the police after he became unconscious and returned to the divisional headquarters after his death.
What troubled me was the family’s allegation that the police did not act promptly and that money was demanded before the suspects could be arrested. These are serious allegations that deserve a thorough investigation.
Biggie was a husband, a father and the breadwinner of his family. He was also reportedly the only surviving son of his widowed mother. Beyond the criminal investigation, we must understand the human cost of this death.
You have accused the Abraka police of failing to act on earlier reports. What exactly did the family tell you?
The information I received was that Biggie had reported the earlier confrontation to the police, but the family believed that the matter was not handled with the urgency it required.
His wife also went to the police after the assault, when he was unconscious, and returned following his death. The family alleges that officers demanded money to facilitate the arrest of the suspects.
I want to be clear that these allegations need to be independently investigated. The police should explain what complaints were received, when they were received, what action was taken and whether any officer demanded money from the family.
If the allegations are established, the officers involved should face appropriate disciplinary and legal consequences. The responsibility of the police is to protect lives, investigate crimes and apprehend suspects, not to make assistance conditional on a family’s ability to pay.
You suggested that the police may have contributed to Biggie’s death by failing to act. On what basis are you making that claim?
My concern is that the family says it reported the matter before Biggie died. If the authorities received credible information about threats or an assault and failed to take reasonable action, that failure must be examined.
However, establishing whether the police response contributed to the death requires evidence, including the timeline of the complaints, police records, witness statements and the circumstances surrounding the assault.
I am calling for accountability, not asking anyone to reach a conclusion without an investigation. The police must establish who attacked Biggie and determine whether any officer neglected a duty or demanded money improperly.
You mentioned that Comrades Umukoro Efemena and Okeoghene Benjamin had been involved in the matter. What role did they play?
From the information available to me, they had been following the case and raising concerns about the response of the Abraka police.
I was informed that they became dissatisfied with the handling of the matter and sought the intervention of the Violent Crime Response Unit. Their involvement helped draw attention to the family’s concerns.
I believe citizens and community leaders should be able to work with law enforcement to prevent crime and pursue justice. However, the investigation must remain professional, evidence-based and independent of political or personal interests.
THE WHISTLER: You later announced that the Commissioner of Police had intervened. What has changed since then, particularly with the arrest of the alleged principal suspect?
I contacted the Commissioner of Police with the information I had received, including the photograph and other details relating to the alleged principal suspect.
The Commissioner requested the information and, according to the communication I received, directed the VCRU to pursue the suspects in Abraka.
I can confirm that the alleged principal suspect has now been arrested and taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation.
That is a welcome development, but the arrest should not mark the end of the process. The police must conduct a thorough investigation, establish the roles of everyone allegedly involved in the assault and ensure that anyone against whom sufficient evidence exists is charged to court.
We also want the police to investigate the allegations that the family reported the matter before Biggie’s death and that money was allegedly demanded before action could be taken.
The family deserves regular updates, and the investigation must continue until the circumstances surrounding Biggie’s death are established and justice is pursued through the appropriate legal process.
What is your message to the alleged principal suspect and others accused of participating in the assault?
My message is that nobody is above the law. If the allegations are true, the appropriate response is to cooperate with investigators and answer the allegations through the legal process.
I am not a court, and I cannot pronounce anybody guilty. That responsibility belongs to the judicial system after a fair hearing.
What we want is for the investigation to establish the facts, identify everyone involved and ensure that anyone found culpable is held accountable.
You have also accused the Abraka police of responding more quickly to cases involving suspected internet fraudsters and drug-related offences than to other complaints. What informed that criticism?
My criticism is based on concerns raised by residents and people who have approached me about their experiences with the police.
There is a perception in the community that certain cases receive more immediate attention than others. That perception needs to be addressed because public confidence is essential to effective policing.