The family of 21-year-old Moses Mba is demanding justice following his death, which they allege resulted from a beating and gunshot wounds inflicted by security personnel attached to the residence of Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday, Moses’ mother, Mrs. Victoria Mba, recounted that her son was attacked on August 1 after insisting on delivering what he described as a divine message to the governor.
Moses later died on August 9 at the Naval Reference Hospital, Calabar, from injuries sustained during the incident.
“We were away in Abia when this happened. On our return, the Red Cross called to say they had rushed him to the hospital. My son told us he only wanted to see the governor to share a message from God,” Mrs. Mba said, adding that her son had been passionate about religious work since age 10.
The grieving mother alleged that the governor’s aides showed little concern for Moses’s well-being after the attack.
“Throughout his hospitalisation, security operatives from the governor’s office monitored the hospital. They even demanded copies of all receipts for his treatments, even though the Red Cross covered the expenses,” she said.
She added that when Moses passed away, the mortuary bill of ₦54,000 was partially paid by Emmanuel Dickson, an aide to the governor’s Chief of Staff, who she claims has since threatened the family.
Mrs. Mba also alleged that state authorities, including the Commissioner of Police, tried to gain access to her son’s body shortly after it was deposited at the morgue.
She refuted claims that her son had any mental health issues, emphasising that Moses scored 196 in his last JAMB examination and had a perfect WAEC result. He was preparing to study Business Administration at the University of Calabar.
“I want justice for my son, who is still lying in the mortuary,” she pleaded.
In response, the Cross River State Government condemned the beating and shooting of Moses but denied involvement by the governor’s security aides.
State Commissioner for Information Erasmus Ekpang clarified that Moses visited the governor’s former residence, not his current official residence, and alleged that video evidence showed the deceased throwing stones at a lone security officer on site.
“He was not mentally stable at the time and even apologised for throwing the stones. Nonetheless, we strongly condemn the incident. No one should be happy about this, regardless of the circumstances,” Ekpang said.
The Commissioner of Police confirmed the matter has been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal guidance. “Whatever the DPP advises, we will follow,” he said
