A 300-level pharmacy student of University of Benin, Esegine Uche Rickson, is currently in the custody of the police alongside four other members of Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, including a pastor over the death of their church member.
Read also: SEE THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY OF UNDERGRADUATE ARRESTED WITH 108 ATM CARDS
The detainees according to a course mate of Uche, Ezekiel Efeobhokhan, in a Facebook post were returning from an RCCG service in Sapele alongside the deceased, and the bereaved parents when the vehicle they were passengers in, nearly got hit by a speeding lorry.
Efeobhokhan said in the near miss, one of the church members sustained injuries, and was confirmed dead at University of Benin Teaching Hospital where he was later rushed to.
He said a new twist took place after the parents of the deceased reported the matter to the police.
Efeobhokhan’s post captioned, “UNIBEN pharmacy student incarcerated unjustly”, reads:
His name is Esegine Uche Rickson. A 300 level pharmacy student University of Benin with MAT NO PHA1300114. The incident that led to the arrest began on a Sunday morning, when Uche was returning from an all night retreat held the previous day at the RCCG headquarters Sapele road, Benin City.
A trailer (Long vehicle) approaching at full speed almost hit the bus which Uche and other RCCG members were in. After the near death experience, Uche then tried to pick up a phone that had fallen on the floor of the bus, and tried to return it to the presumed owner (a fellow church member and passenger in the vehicle) when he noticed blood stains on the phone.
He realized the passenger was bleeding from the mouth and head and immediately informed the driver. The bleeding passenger was rushed to the Central hospital Benin City as it was the closest. But they were immediately redirected to UBTH without being attended to. At UBTH the injured passenger was immediately admitted and placed on oxygen as he had already gone into a critical stage. However, all efforts to save him proved abortive; he eventually died.
All the while, the parents had been in UBTH to witness all efforts to revive their son.
But here is the twist; The family of the deceased on Monday morning went to the BDPA police station to make a formal complaint. No one knew what they had put down as statement.
As a result, our student, Uche, the driver of the vehicle, a church elder, the church pastor and accompanied by a church member were all requested to report at the police station to give their statement on Monday morning. But they were all unjustly detained without any warrant of arrest or evidence of murder.
Our student was moved to the Nigeria police station Aideyan Avenue Airport while the 4 others were moved from the BDPA police station to the state CID.
Uche has been there since Monday 3rd JULY 2017. He has been imprisoned without any evidence of murder or warrant of arrest. Bail grants have been refused. No autopsy or anything had been carried out. This is unjust and inhuman. Uche is a student and his exams begins 10th July 2017. He is in pharmacy school UNIBEN and a transfer student. He has no chance of probating at all.
Uche is innocent. Free Uche.
We call on all everyone who cares to share this post until Uche is released to write
his exams.
His name is Esegine Uche Rickson. A 300 level pharmacy student University of Benin with MAT NO PHA1300114.
#Free Uche
#Esegine Uche Rickson
#Nigeria Police Force
#University of Benin
#Faculty of Pharmacy
#PCN
#PSN
