The people of Enwan community in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State have petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, accusing men suspected to be police officers of illegally invading their town and killing a young man, identified as Mr. Cosmos.
According to a petition made available to journalists on Sunday, the incident occurred when men dressed in black tactical gear marked “RRS EKS” stormed the community in a private vehicle believed to belong to a private university in Ekiti State. The petitioners claimed the operatives did not show any warrant or official identification.
The petition, signed by Dr. Steve Momoh, Israel Omokhafe, and legal counsel Mrs. Rachael Akerele on behalf of the Enwan Progressives Forum, alleged that the officers opened fire without provocation as Cosmos and others tried to ask about the purpose of their visit.
The community also accused one Dr. Babatunde Wahab, a staff member of the said university, of instigating the invasion through “false and inflammatory” accusations. They said Wahab had made defamatory claims on social and mainstream media, describing Enwan as a center for ritual killings, cybercrime, and fake customs documents — allegations the community strongly denied.
“This is not only false but a dangerous attempt to demonise an entire community,” the petition read. “Such remarks amount to ethnic profiling and collective criminalisation of a peaceful people.”
The leaders described the invasion as unlawful and likened the tactics to a “Gestapo-style” operation that violated the rights to life, dignity, and fair hearing as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.
They demanded a thorough and independent investigation involving the police headquarters, Edo State command, human rights groups, and community representatives to uncover the truth and ensure justice for the late Cosmos.
The incident adds to growing concerns about police conduct and insecurity in Edo North, a region already grappling with farmer-herder clashes, kidnappings, and ritual attacks.
