The family of 21-year-old Moses Mba has called for justice following his death, which they allege was caused by security personnel attached to the residence of Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu.
Mba was said to have been attacked on August 1, 2025, when he attempted to deliver what he described as a divine message to the governor.
His mother, Mrs. Victoria Mba, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday, August 30, that her son was beaten and shot by security operatives and later taken to the Naval Reference Hospital, Calabar, by the Red Cross.
He remained on admission for several days before dying from his injuries on August 9.
According to her, security operatives continued to monitor her son throughout his stay in the hospital and demanded receipts for his treatments, even though the Red Cross paid for his medical care.
She further alleged that after his death, part of the mortuary bill of ₦54,000 was paid by Emmanuel Dickson, an aide to the governor’s Chief of Staff, whom she accused of threatening the family.
Mrs. Mba also claimed that senior state officials, including the Commissioner of Police, tried to gain access to her son’s body soon after it was deposited at the morgue.
She dismissed suggestions that her son was mentally unstable, stating that he scored 196 in the 2025 JAMB examination, obtained excellent WAEC results, and was preparing to study Business Administration at the University of Calabar.
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She described him as deeply committed to religious work from childhood and insisted that he had only wanted to share a message from God with the governor.
In response, the Cross River State Government condemned the assault but denied involvement of the governor’s security aides.
Commissioner for Information, Erasmus Ekpang, explained that Mba had gone to the governor’s former residence and alleged that video evidence showed him throwing stones at a lone security officer on duty.
He said the deceased later apologised for his actions, adding that, regardless of the circumstances, the government considered the incident regrettable.
The Commissioner of Police confirmed that the case has been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice and assured that further action would be based on the recommendations of the DPP.