Police in Yumbe Detain Suspects for 11 Days, Deny Them the Right to Attend Burial of Their Murdered Father.

📸; Signpost of Yumbe Central Police Station. 

Police officers in Yumbe District Central Police Station have detained suspects for 11 days now after they were arrested on Wednesday 28-8-2024 on accusations of murder emanating from a land wrangle in Bolomoni Village, Otakua Parish in Odravu West Sub-county, Yumbe District, in which a total of 3 people died.

📸; Some of the houses belonging to the family of Mr Luka Akile Fendru 

📸; Some of the Wreckage left in the burnt houses of Mr Okulega Fendru Gasper, SON to the deceased Mr Luka Akile Fendru.

On 19-August-2024, over 60 people from Oluba Langi clan in Ariwa Sub-county and also from Kulikulinga Town Council followed the family of Mr Luka Akile Fendru upto home in Bolomoni Village, Odravu West Sub-county and a bloody fight ensued over a piece of land they are claiming from Mr Luka Akile, the landlord who also voluntarily gave part of his 600 acres of land to host refugees in Yumbe District in 2016.

The fight led to the killing of two people from the Oluba Langi clan who were shot with an arrow and one person, the landlord Mr Luka Akile Fendru also died after he was shot with an arrow.

📸; Mr Okulega Fendru Gasper, one of the suspect who has stayed in police custody for 11 days now.

📸; Mr Toko Geofrey, detained suspect.

📸; Mr Fendru A Robert, detained suspect.

📸; Mr Romano Apeku, victimized LC1 who was arrested together with the other three suspects and they are currently still in police custody.

Since two people from the Oluba Langi clan died after they were shot in yet unclear circumstances during the land conflict on Monday19-August-2024, four people;  Mr Okulega Fendru Gasper, Mr Toko Geofrey, Mr Fendru A. Robert and Mr Romano Apeku all from the family of landlord Mr Luka Akile Fendru (RIP) were arrested on Wednesday 28-August-2024 as suspects.

By the time our sources were gathering this information, the four suspects had already stayed in detention for more than 6 days, contrary to the constitutional 48 hours.

However, efforts by the family and their lawyer to get Police bond for the four arrested people since they are the family heads who can organize to bury their father who also died in the land conflict, were futile as police tossed them without any proper answer.

Speaking on anonymity, one officer who said the files for these four suspects haven't been sanctioned yet because the the State Prosecutor for the court was away for some official duties, reiterated that, it's not a “MUST” that, these four suspects should have to be released on police bond in order to go and attend the burial of their murdered father Mr Luka Akile Fendru, a burial which eventually took place on Wednesday 4-September-2024 minus the family heads who are still in police detention.

Despite the suspects staying in detention for more than 6 days, the police weren't able to release them on bond nor to take them just to attend and pay last respect on Wednesday 4-September-2024 at the burial of their 96 years old father who was unfortunately consumed by the aggressive wrangle.

📸; These are some of the houses burnt in the home of the four suspects, who are the families of the landlord Mr Luka Akile Fendru.

The land conflict allegedly caused by some people from the Oluba Langi clan left the family of the deceased Mr Luka Akile Fendru scattered with 64 family members displaced, 13 houses burnt, over 100 animals looted, monies and motorcycles looted and the four remaining family heads arrested.

Stay tuned here as #iip_investigators continue to follow-up this story.

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