Akapson: A Murder So Grisly
BY SIMON REEF MUSA
When 31-year old lady, Ms. Anita Akapson, woke up in the morning of Saturday, October 13, 2018, the possible visit by the angel of death never crossed her mind, as she had so much to live for. After her return from the United Kingdom, dreaming of deploying her new knowledge to solve the nation’s myriad of problems was, no doubt, as pre-occupation. As a staff of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), she saw her return to the country as imbued with the binding challenge of advancing new thinking to advance her career.
That entire dream by Akapson for a bright future was soon to be blighted and turned awry as one of the gun- bearing cops, said to be in hot pursuit of a gang of car snatchers, pulled the trigger and unleashed a fatal shot that ended her world of dreams She was later to succumb to the cold hands of death at the Gwarimpa Hospital, Abuja. The outrage over the unjustifiable slaughter in Abuja and other parts of the country was understandable, as this was not the first time the police was involved in extra-judicial killing. Despite billions of naira spent by the Federal Government to equip the police and curb to perform their mandatory duty of protecting lives and property, the force has gained notoriety in terminating the lives of the citizens. The murder of Akapson is reflective of the nation’s value system and at the same time a loss of confidence on the crime-busting organisation.
Lamenting on the gruesome killing of the young lady, the Akapson family, through Barrister Kayode Ajulo, is aghast on the circumstances leading to the slaughter of their daughter: “What this means is that we are all not safe because officers of the Nigerian police can murder any one of us, our relatives and friends at the slightest pretext that there was an altercation even when there was none as in the case of Ms. Anita Akapson. It is pertinent to let you know that the late Anita Akapson was murdered sitting inside her car! Yes! She was shot through the driver’s side door of the car with the bullet passing through her abdomen, after the killer policemen had shot one of her tyres.”
Many Nigerians are wondering that if the police could do that to a niece of the former Minister of Finance, Mrs Esther Usman Nenadi, who else is saved from the terror of the black uniformed security personnel whose penchant to use arms to sometime settle personal scores, is becoming legendary. A police force that is unschooled in the modern ways of combating crimes cannot be trusted to work towards a crime-free society. Here was a lady who was full of life, with no smell of death near her, but cut short in her prime age full of dreams. Her death has become a painful tragedy of a sick nation crying out for reforms.
There is no doubt that Akapson, like many others in the past, has been added to the unending list of mistaken killings by the police, just as the love for wealth by citizenry has become the albatross of our nation’s attempt to speed over the security problem haranguing our nation. When people worship money, as some Nigerians presently do, the system then becomes an anvil of injustice committed to the acquisition of illicit wealth. When that happens, justice becomes a mirage as ministers in the temple of justice bow down to agents of filthy lucre. That explains why Nigeria, a nation that is so blessed, cannot rise beyond its potential status and a country for tomorrow.
Urbane and respectful, Akapson was set for the topmost hill in terms of accomplishment. In one moment, she had the world in her palms and within so short a time, her dreams turned into dews and melted away. With her death, so many questions are begging for answers. What would have led the police whose primary duty is to prevent crime succumb to the thirst of shooting the tyres of a Honda Accord driven by the late Akapson? What demon of wickedness in human skin will shoot at a lady whose car had been already demobilised? Is the motive by the cops to kill or arrest her in order to make her answer for some alleged offences? Even after shooting at her car, why proceed to unleash a fatal shot into her fragile body that was full of life and carried so many dreams yet to be realized? Was she a victim of mistaken identity or deliberate action aimed at causing pains to her family? Was it envy from the police over a lady driving a clean car that ended the life of the young lady? Can a mere recourse by the police to the usual excuse of “mistaken identity” justify her murder?
There are so many questions that cannot be answered due to ongoing investigation into this murder at dusk. It is not enough for the police to set up a panel to unearth the circumstances that led to the cold blooded murder of Akapson, adequate measures must be put in place to ensure that those responsible for her death are made to face the full wrath of the law. It is commendable that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, has summarily waded into the matter through the setting up of a panel to get to the roots of the issue, but he should go a step further to ensure justice for the family by ensuring that her murderers are brought to book. Nothing should be left to chances in getting to the roots of this matter.
To kill a harmless lady strapped to her seat belt is the least incongruous and inhuman. For the police that are expected to protect life and arrest criminals that are determined to unleash harm on law-abiding people, the slaughter of Akapson amounts to getting into a realm that promotes lawlessness among legal arms bearers. The faulty process through which the police recruit their workforce is to say the least strange and fraught with unwholesome acts. Little wonder the crime-fighting has been reduced to a weak organisation as shown in shameless performance in the protection of Nigerians. Many citizens have become victims of police brutalities; but their stories remain untold because they come from the wrong side of life. When we fail to seek public protection for the the ordinary people; we are in a way promoting the enthronement of might over right. When that happens, we ultimately become victims of a system that is flawed.
The Nigerian police are not strangers to premeditated murder and deliberate act of killings that are later described as mistaken act in a bid to veil the real intention. Those who seek protection no longer see the police as capable of ensuring their safety. Little wonder, many citizens have resorted to hiring foreigners to protect them against marauding criminals.
However, the police may not comprise of only bad eggs, there are committed personnel whose vision for truth cannot be denied. The system should be overhauled for a saner force that is committed to the fulfillment of its mandate.
In finding the root cause for this death, the police should not restrict investigations on the possible cause for her murder. All sides should be covered in order to ensure justice for the murdered and alleviate the sense of loss for the bereaved family. The best the police can do for the memory of Ms. Akapson is to unearth the truth about her death so that future incidence can be avoided.
