‘School Boy’ not tortured to death – Rivers Police

The Rivers State Police Command has dismissed media reports over the death of Philip Brown, aka ‘School Boy’, in detention of the Eagle Crack Unit, Port Harcourt.

According to the Command, ‘School Boy’ died as a result of a mob attack and not because of police torture as widely reported.

One Mike Pepple, who claimed to be a relative of ‘School Boy’ and a resident of Soku (Okwelle) waterfront Mile 2 – Diobu, Port Harcourt had in a viral media interview, claimed he was tortured to death by the police.

But addressing media executives at the Rivers State Police Command Port Harcourt, Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan said while it was true that the deceased was a known criminal in the area, it was residents of the waterfront who mobbed him.

”That is the misconception of the actual fact, the suspect that died was involved in criminal activity in the waterside.

“The vigilante got information and informed the police, the vigilante sent their men under cover, they were able to grab one of the cultists that were making life unbearable for people living at the waterside.

”There was a mob action, he was beaten to stupor and some of the vigilante were injured but at the end of the day, there was a reinforcement and they took him to the E-crack station.

“Unfortunately when he got there he was exhausted through the mob action and he gave up the ghost,” the CP said.

The CP advised the media to always verify their news before publishing, just as he called on those responsible for the negative reports to retract their statements.

On his path, the Chairman of Diobu Vigilante group, Prince Amatari said in the cause of arresting the deceased at Okwelle waterfront, the late ‘School Boy’ was mobbed by residents, after which an AK47 was recovered.

According to Amatari, “he was a nightmare in most of the waterfronts in Diobu like Obidianso, Nwachukwu, Anozie, Echue, Ukwatu, Timber, Okwelle and so on, because of a supremacy battle between to cult groups. They shoot at will, commit arson and vandalize cars parked along the streets in the course of their gang wars.

“We swung into action and apprehended one School Boy by nick name who who gave us names like Augustine and Doctor and we recovered the said AK47 with double magazine which we handed over to the E Crack Commander.”