A Nigerian Federal Capital Territory High Court on Thursday found two accused persons, Ezekiel Acheneje and Baba Emmanuel, guilty for their roles in the killing of six Igbo traders in 2005 according to Nigeria local media reports.
Justice Ishaq Bello while delivering judgment on Thursday said that there was no evidence that the traders did anything to constitute a threat to police at the time they were shot dead.
The court convicted the former police officers of homicide punishable by death under section 22 1a of the penal code while others were absolved of wrongdoing and discharged. The three other policemen including the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Danjuma Ibrahim who allegedly gave the orders, Othman Abdusalami and Sadiq Salami who were charged with conspiracy and culpable homicide contrary to section 97 and 221 of the penal code were set free and discharged by the court for lack of evidence according to Sahara Reporters.
The case popularly known as ‘Apo Six’ has generated public outcry from the beginning as the police authorities tried to cover it up.
The deceased, aged between 21 and 25 years, were returning from a night party in 2005 when they were allegedly killed.
the nation woke up to the horrific news of their deaths at the hands of the police who claimed the five men and woman, gunned down were armed robbers who opened fire first according to TV360 Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was forced to constitute an official panel of inquiry to ascertain the remote and immediately cause of the incident.
The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the allegations, making the trial to go through full stretch of adjudication from 2005 to date.
