Akwa Ibom community in Rivers State on Friday staged a peaceful protest over the death of 23-year-old Asher Christopher Dan, who died under unclear circumstances within the premises of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
Asher Christopher Dan, a casual staff of NNPC Ltd, was said to have died at work last Tuesday, after falling from the 8th floor of the NNPCL building in Port Harcourt, a claim which his family has dismissed.
The protesters, defying heavy rainfall, marched to the Rivers State Police Command headquarters and later to the Port Harcourt zonal office of NNPC Ltd. where they sealed the gates with palm fronds and placed a picture of the deceased, demanding an explanation for Asher’s death and called for justice.
Leader of the protest and event coordinator of the Akwa Ibom community in Rivers State, King Albert, said Asher’s death is shrouded in mystery, with conflicting accounts from NNPCL officials.
Albert said the family and community are seeking an autopsy and access to the corpse, which has been withheld by NNPCL officials for days.
He said, “Our boy, Asher Dan Christopher, came to work on the 20th of this month (August) only for us to get information that an incident that occurred as at 10am in the morning, we got information by 4pm that the young man fell from this storey building and died.
“But the same people (NNPCL officials) are telling us that they were not present when the incident happened, we saw the clothes of this young man at fourth 4th floor while they are telling us that he fell from 8th floor.
“Now this people (NNPCL) in question, up till date seize the corpse of the young man, refusing the family and the entire community of Akwa Ibom people to see the corpse of this young man.
“So we are calling on the Commissioner of Police, the Rivers State Government, all respected individuals of this state to come into this matter because it is a matter of Akwa Ibom and Rivers State. And is very important because the Akwa Ibom state Government is aware of this and they will definitely come into this matter.
“We need justice, we need an autopsy, we need to see the corpse of this young man, because they are telling us they will not allow us access to the corpse of this young man for 14 days, so that they will have access to do what they want to do. We need justice for Asher Christopher Dan.”
Father demands justice, narrates ordeal
The father of Asher Christopher Dan, who died under unclear circumstances at NNPC Ltd facility in Port Harcourt, Mr Christopher Dan, has demanded justice and a thorough investigation into the incident.
Mr. Christopher Dan recounting his ordeal, stating that he was informed of his son’s death by his son’s work colleague and was subsequently taken to the Old GRA Police Station, where he was denied access to his son’s corpse.
He said, “On Tuesday at about 4:15pm my younger son called me that a colleague of Asher Christopher called him that we should come to Old GRA Police that the Police need me, so I asked what happened? My son said he doesn’t know. When i got there, I asked where is Asher, they searched, they did not see my son’s name on the list at the Police station.
“I waited at Old GRA Police Station that Tuesday till 7pm, until one of the Policewomen told me to come back on Wednesday. On Wednesday the Police took me and my wife to NNPCL office at Moscow Road.
“So I asked them (NNPCL officials) where did my son fell from? they said nobody really know if he fell from the 2,3,4,5,6,7 or the last floor. I asked them how the boy look like, they said he was without clothes. So I asked them to show me the place, which they did and I took pictures. There is no sign that somebody fell from there because there is a heavy iron rail there, so I am asking them to tell me what happened before he fell.
“I asked for his clothes, they said nobody saw the clothes, but when I got to the first floor I saw my boy’s slippers together with his clothes, I even took picture of it. I told them I want to see the boy’s corpse to confirm if is my son or not.
“The Police took us back and took us to the mortuary. The Police did not allow me to see my son in the mortuary. I want justice. I want to see my son’s corpse. How can somebody die since Tuesday and up till Friday, the parent has not seen him? How can they take my son to the mortuary, without consulting his family?
Police investigates culpable homicide at NNPC Ltd.
The Rivers State Police Command has assumed responsibility for investigating a case of culpable homicide following the death of 23year old Asher Christopher Dan at the NNPC Ltd’s office in Port Harcourt.
SP Grace Iringe-Koko, Spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, confirmed the incident and stated that the matter was reported to the Old GRA Police Division.
“The deceased’s body has been deposited in the mortuary, and an investigation is currently underway,” the Police said.
CSO demands thorough investigation
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Mr Prince Wiro, has called for a thorough investigation in the matter to ascertain what really happened.
Wiro queried while the incident was not reported to Central Police Station, CPS, in charge of the jurisdiction by the company.
He called on the Rivers state Commissioner of Police to wade into the incident by ordering transfer of the case file to State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department Port Harcourt saddled with responsibility of investigating culpable homicide.
As at the time of filing this report, the management of NNPCL is yet to react on the matter.
