Mr Kaduna Eboigbodin, the former Edo State chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has reportedly slumped and died during a scuffle with policemen in Benin City.
Arogidigba Global Journal learnt that the incident happened on Monday, December 2, 2024, at a checkpoint in Upper Sakponba, Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state.
The late Eboigbodin was a former Head of Uhunmwonde Local Government Administration and the former National Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE.
Members of the coalition of civil societies in the state disclosed this at a joint press conference in Benin.
At the joint press conference, the coalition of civil societies demanded justice for the late pioneer coordinator of the Edo Civil Society Organisation, EDOSCO, and a founding member of the Network of Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria, NOCSON.
At the briefing, the organisations asserted that the sudden death of the former NLC chairman was avoidable.
They alleged that the death resulted from the unprofessional conduct of certain members of the Nigeria Police Force at a roadblock on the Upper Sokponba axis.
The spokesperson of the group, Omobude Agho, called on the Edo State Government, Commissioner of Police, and all relevant authorities to conduct a full investigation to identify and hold accountable the police officers involved in the incident.
Agho also said the civil societies seek justice for Comrade Kaduna Eboigbodin and urged all stakeholders to work together to uphold the rights and dignity of every citizen.
According to Agho, initial investigations revealed that the policemen stopped the deceased and demanded his vehicle papers, which he gladly produced.
“A team of police officers at the checkpoint somewhere around Upper Sokponba stopped him and his wife and insisted he follow them to the station after checking his papers. They seized his papers and one of them entered his vehicle. He introduced himself yet to no avail.
“Upon the altercations, he got a heart attack, and the policemen ran and left him. It was good samaritans that rushed him to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead before arrival,” he said.
In a swift reaction, the Edo State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Moses Yamu, said the picture painted by the civil rights groups is false and contrary to what the deceased’s wife told the police.