Mother Rejects N5m After Police Kill Son in Calaba

Victoria Mba, a Calabar-based businesswoman, has rejected a ₦5 million offer from the Cross River State Government following the killing of her 22-year-old son, Moses, allegedly by policemen attached to the residence of Governor Bassey Otu.

Moses, the family’s first son, was shot on August 1 after he reportedly attempted to preach to the governor at his private residence. According to his mother, security operatives assaulted him before shooting him in the leg. He later died in hospital after eight days under tight security watch.

Speaking with journalists, Mrs. Mba said money could not replace her son’s life. “They brought ₦5m. We rejected it. Is the value of my son’s life ₦5m? I want justice, not money,” she said. She accused the authorities of attempting to cover up the case and vowed to continue demanding accountability. “They think they can silence me with money. My son was my pride. They killed him and tried to bury the truth. I will not be silenced.”

Governor Otu’s Chief Press Secretary, Linus Obogo, denied that the ₦5m was a bribe, describing it instead as a condolence gesture. “When we paid the condolence visit, we felt it was only proper to support the bereaved family in terms of burial arrangements. It was not for any other reason,” he explained. Obogo also confirmed that the governor had ordered a police investigation into the shooting.

The Cross River State Police Command said the matter was under investigation and assured the public of transparency. “The governor has ordered a discreet investigation. The officer involved is already facing internal disciplinary action. This is about life, and the matter is receiving full attention,” the state Police Public Relations Officer, Igri Ewa, said.

Human rights groups have condemned the killing. The President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Debo Adeniran, said: “Nobody has the right to take another person’s life without judicial pronouncement. The police officer involved must face deterrent punishment.” Similarly, the South-South Zonal Director of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, John Umeh, described Moses’s killing as “reprehensible” and urged the state government to ensure the young man receives a proper burial. He also called for an independent autopsy involving a teaching hospital pathologist to verify the cause of death.

For Mrs. Mba, the fight goes beyond compensation. “I have lost my first child, my pride. I want justice for Moses. His death must not be in vain,” she said.