A Public Interest and Human Rights Lawyer, Inibehe Effiong has petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command on behalf of the family of a wrestler, Abasifreke John Jeremiah who was reported dead after traveling to Bayelsa for training.

Effiong has raised suspicions on his X page about the circumstances of Jeremiah’s death.

The athlete had traveled to Bayelsa State for training on December 10, 2023, in preparation for an upcoming wrestling competition.

According to the lawyer, the family received distressing news on December 28, 2023, informing them that Abasifreke had drowned on December 27, 2023, following a boat capsize during his journey.

“The people who reported his death to his family and claimed to have recovered his corpse refused to send a photograph of his body to his family for identification despite repeated demands.”

“The family eventually obtained a photograph of the corpse through an anonymous source which has raised fundamental questions on the claims that he drowned and raises reasonable suspicion that he may have been murdered.”

“The gory photograph of the corpse shows visible signs of deep cut in the neck and a bloodied body,” Effiong stated.

The lawyer has petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command on behalf of the father of the deceased, who is a retired Superintendent of the Nigeria Police Force, to demand a thorough investigation and a coroner’s inquest.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Musa Mohammed did not respond to calls and text messages from our correspondent.