According to the group, Okubo, 35 was a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company known as Exus Pharmaceutical Nigeria owned by a Chinese National, Mr. Zur-Yin.
A Niger Delta youth group, National Youth Advocacy against Injustice and Human Rights Abuse, has sent a protest letter to President Bola Tinubu and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over the mysterious death of a graduate of Pharmacy from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Omokhinyema Okubo reportedly died in the custody of Ketu-Ejirin Police Division in Lagos State.
According to the group, Okubo, 35 was a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company known as Exus Pharmaceutical Nigeria owned by a Chinese National, Mr. Zur-Yin.
Okubo was arrested over an alleged shortage in his sales account but he later died in police custody.
Okubo hailed from Okhaki in the Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State and was the son of a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Okubo Aboye.
The youth group, in the protest letter to President Tinubu and the NHRC, signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Fidelis Jones, stated that despite the explanations offered by the deceased for the shortage, he was detained at the Ketu-Ejirin Police Division on July 18, 2023, and prevented from seeing his family.
The group alleged that he was tortured and murdered on July 19, 2023.
It said, "Investigations by the family and the group showed that instead of the policemen at the Ketu-Ejirin incidenting the death and depositing the corpse of Omokhinyema Okubo in the mortuary, it was one Pharmacist Osakwe, the Manager of the China-owned company that deposited the corpse.
"Six months after the arrest and brutal murder of the deceased, the management the Exus Pharmaceutical Nigeria Limited has refused to formally inform the family of the circumstances that led to the arrest, detention and murder of their son."
The group also called the attention of President Tinubu, the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), MHRC, the Rivers State Government and members of the National Assembly from the six states of the Niger Delta to help in investigating the “murder of a promising son of the Niger Delta by the Nigeria Police Force".
The petition said, "We are accusing the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Lagos Commissioner of Police and the DPO of the Ketu-Ejirin Divisional headquarters, CSP Awosinu Monday of conspiring with the management the Exus Pharmaceutical Nigeria Limited to keep mum and engaged in cover-up of the incident.
"A series of petitions have been addressed to the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Commissioner without response. We are calling on President Bola Tinubu to order an investigation and bring police officers involved to book.
"We are calling on the NHRC and the umbrella body of Ijaw Youths Worldwide, the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) led by Jonathan Lokpobiri to assist and secure justice for the brutalized soul Omokhinyema Okubo."
Meanwhile, the father of the deceased, ACP Okubo Aboye (rtd), has again sent a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Egbetokun, insisting that the “personnel of Exus Pharmaceutical Nigeria Limited and the policemen involved in the torture and murder of his son be arrested and brought to justice".
Aboye, in a letter written and signed by his counsel, Yakub Dauda Esq, said, "When the sister of the deceased was called from the Ketu-Ejirin Police Post on his death, she noticed several bruises and deep cuts on his corpse."