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THE CORONER'S PLACE...

Coroners and Coroner Laws: What are they About?

Coroner investigations, (also called inquests), can therefore help to strengthen protection against extrajudicial killings and police violence in Nigeria. The aim of the various Coroner laws across Nigeria is to ensure that causes of violent and unnatural deaths are investigated and clarified through a transparent, independent and formal procedure that provides ample opportunity to get to the truth of the cause of death of any person.

Coroner laws, therefore, when properly deployed, can confront extrajudicial killings, because:

1. It is a mandatory procedure. Coroners must investigate every violent, unnatural or sudden death once information is given of its occurrence. This breaks the monopoly enjoyed by the police in the investigation of killings, and indeed subjects the police to public scrutiny of its efforts at investigating the cause of death.

Illustration:
When somebody dies in police custody, relatives of the deceased will often make a complaint about the person's death to police authorities: sometimes, the police declines to investigate the death or puts across fictitious explanations for it. Here is a real-life example.

"The cases of extra judicial killings of the masses by the police and other armed forces over trivial issues are also widespread, alarming and yet unchecked; the most intriguing of it all is that it appears most perpetrators of these hideous crimes still walk around our communities without let or hindrance. I cannot but agree with … Access to Justice that if the coroner's law and procedure is given its proper place in the administration of criminal justice in this nation, it will enhance the value of life … if given widespread publicity and awareness..." - O.I. Adelaja , Lagos State Magistrate designated as Coroner for the Yaba Magisterial District. Excerpt of a paper delivered at a workshop on Promoting Law Enforcement Accountability Using Coroner Procedures organized by Access to Justice and the Office of Public Defender, Lagos State Ministry of Justice..

Taken from our report Licensed Killers: A Blowing Tide of Extra-Judicial and Other Killings Under the Obasanjo Administration 1999-2001

"In February 2001, Emmanuel Umesiri, pastor of The Brethren Ministry was returning to his Ire-Akari estate, Isolo home with his wife and daughter after church service and as they arrived the street, they met a large crowd of people including armed policemen at the gate. Upon enquiry, it was learnt that armed robbers had invaded the street, locked the gate and took away the keys. Though the police were angry at their inability to enter the street, residents were" ... abusing them (the police) for arriving late after the robbers had robbed and left'. The police retorted by calling some of the residents "419ners". Ms. Umesiri, deceased' wife said " it was during the exchange of hot words between the police and

People extra-judicially killed in Nigeria are people who have not been put to any legally recognized trial for any offence. Many in fact, may not have committed any offences. Most people have often lost their lives to gunshots from policemen who were angered by the refusal of these people to yield to their extortion at the ubiquitous checkpoints across the country. This practice of extortion by Policemen at roadblocks and other places has not stopped, but is only getting even more widespread

residents who were inside the gate that my husband intervened trying to plead with them to understand what residents were saying".

According to Ms. Umesiri, just after one policemen beckoned the others to leave the 419 people precincts "...we heard gbau-gbau and people started running here and there only to see my husband on the ground with his skull shattered." According to Ms. Umesiri, "... the policeman who killed my husband did not know his bullet had killed somebody. It was one of the soldiers amongst them that drew his attention to it."

At the police station Ms. Umesiri was told to come back the following day, with station policemen remarking that "The man wey kill your husband self na oga for police". The next morning, in company of some church members, Ms. Umesiri went to the police station to find that "...the police had incidented a case of crossfire between armed robbers and the police leading to the death of her husband". According to Sunday Vanguard reports, police, in their situation report1 noted that "at about 9.45 pm, based on distress call that robbers were operating at Ilori street, a team of police patrol team led by Supol Felix Fuolegha, ASP raced to the scene. In the process they met a crowd of people running up and down and shots were fired towards Supol Felix and his team and ASP Felix fired a shot back at the hoodlums and one Emmanuel who was standing by the gate was hit and he died."!

That police report, according to Ms. Umesiri, was "...ungodly, full of lies and contradicting." Queried Ms. Umesiri "How can somebody tell me a different thing from what I witnessed, even my little daughter witnessed?"

Editorial Comment: A Coroner's Inquiry may have helped to clarify the circumstances leading to Pastor Umesiri's death.