AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
Victoria Mba, mother of 22-year-old Moses Mba, has rejected a N5 million offer allegedly presented to her family by representatives of the Cross River State Government following the killing of her son by policemen attached to Governor Bassey Otu’s residence in Calabar.
Moses, the family’s first son, was reportedly beaten and shot on August 1 after attempting to approach the governor’s residence. He later died after spending eight days in hospital under close watch by plainclothes operatives.
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, Mrs. Mba insisted that no amount of money could compensate for her son’s life.
“They brought N5m. We rejected it. Is the value of my son’s life N5m? They said it was a condolence visit, but I don’t know where condolence is done with money in that way. I want justice, not money,” she said.
She accused the security personnel of brutality, saying her son was first assaulted before being shot in the leg. The grieving mother also demanded an autopsy to determine whether Moses died solely from gunshot injuries or from the assault.
“They think they can silence me with money. My son was my pride, the one his siblings looked up to. I will not be silenced. I want justice for Moses,” she added.
In response, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Linus Obogo, said Governor Otu had already condemned the incident and directed the Commissioner of Police to investigate.
“The officer involved is being held. This is a police matter and they are handling it,” Obogo stated.
Similarly, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Igri Ewa, confirmed that investigations were ongoing, noting that the outcome would be made public.
“There was an ugly incident and the deceased is already late. The investigation will unravel the circumstances, and legal advice will guide further action,” Ewa said.
Civil society groups have also joined the call for accountability. 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. That is denying someone the right to life. When the right to life is taken, all other rights are forfeited.”
