UK Coroner Indicts Policemen In Death Of Nigerian Tourist

The intrigues surrounding the death of a Nigierian tourist, Mr. Frank Obamreriata Ogboru may have been resolved as the inquisition report has clearly indicted the police officers who attempted to effect his arrest which led to his death.

Ogboru, 43, a Nigerian businessman from Delta State, who was in London on holiday in September 2006, was sprayed with CS gas and pinned down after a minor row.

CCTV footage captured him losing consciousness after screaming: “I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.” and was declared dead at the hospital.

Witnesses said officers had their “knees and feet” on him as he “wailed like a dog”.

The CCTV footage continued to show four officers were physically on top of Frank, with another looking on. Crucially, one officer placed a knee on the man’s neck for a prolonged period and despite Frank no longer struggling, none of the officers seemed to notice he was not responding.

LoveAfricans Organisation, the Non Governmental Organization, pursuing reparative justice for the family of the deceased as well as Africans who suffer racial discrimination across the globe, has received a copy of the inquisition report into the death of Ogboru from the Southwark Coroner’s Court.

The inquisition report written by Selena Lynch from Her Majesty’s Southwark Coroner’s Court, states clearly that the Nigerian sudden death was as a consequence from restraint.

“From these circumstances and the evidence placed before us, we conclude that: All officers directly involved with the control and restraint of Mr. Ogboru were trained to recognise the risk factors of positional asphyxia. A combination of these risk factors was clearly present throughout the process of controlling and restraining Mr Ogboru. The officers did not recognize these risk factors in accordance with their training, because the officers were entirely focused on controlling and restraining Mr Ogboru.

“The officers did not act in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure in getting Mr. Ogboru into a safe position as soon as possible after control was achieved. Had the risk factors been correctly identified and acted upon it is likely that Mr Ogboru would have survived.”

In reaction to the latest development, the Executive Director, LoveAfricans Organisation (Worldwide), Prince Ojie Mark Ojie who spoke from his Abuja, Nigeria office, expressed his disappointment on the perceived negligence of the Nigerian High Commission in the UK, not to have carried out its duties in seeking justice for Ogboru.

He stated that he was in touch with the President LoveAfricans Organisation UK, Dr. Martins Abhulimhen, on ways to proceed in seeking Justice for Ogboru’s widow and family.

“Since 2006 when Mr Ogboru was murdered in the UK by Police, we have had Ambassadors from Nigeria representing Nigerians in the UK. We wish to inform them that the lives of every Nigerian matters, and it’s their duty to care for all citizenry within and outside Nigeria.

“This is a wakeup call for all incoming Nigerian ambassadors and the chairmen of Nigerians in Diaspora. If you must take leadership duty, you must be ready to serve the citizens and their welfare. Citizens are not to serve our leaders. Let us look out for all citizens not to be selective. ‘Black Lives matter’ whether it’s the likes of vulnerable Nigerians like Mr Ogboru killed in the UK or George Floyd killed in the US. Both faced the same law enforcement brutality with the last words of “I CAN’T BREATHE”.

Love Africans Organization is a non-governmental organization registered in the UK, that is passionately involved in providing care and support to vulnerable Africans around the world in addition to providing for them economic empowerment.