By Praise Chinecherem
The family of a 30-year-old suspect, Chinonso Omeh have cried out for justice over alleged extra-judicial killing of their son while under police custody at the Anambra State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Annex, Awkuzu.
Onyebuchi Omeh elder brother to Chinonso, who raised the alarm while addressing journalists in Onitsha on Wednesday said Chinonso, his younger brother was a car wash operator at a former Toll gate Ogbunike when he was arrested on 4th February 2022 at the instance of one Austin Izunnwanne on trumped up charges of threat to life.
According to him, the deceased was initially detained at Ogidi Police Station before his transfer to the police facility at Awkuzu formerly used by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). He disclosed that police at Awkuzu denied them access to see him in their cell and even initially denied ever having him in their custody.
Onyenuchi further disclosed that after repeated attempts to see him at Awkuzu state CID Annex failed, they wrote a petition to the AIG in charge of Zone 13, Ukpo, Anambra state through a lawyer and the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) at Ogidi was summoned who gave a graphic account of how, when and whom he handed Chinonso over to at Awkuzu.
He said when the team from Awkuzu was also summoned to Zone 13 Ukpo, they confessed that Chinonso was in their custody but is dead now having slumped in their cell and later pronounced dead by a medical doctor.
Onyebuchi disclosed that when they requested to see his corpse, they were taken to a private mortuary and shown the corpse of a 70 years old man in place of their brother Chinonso.
He alleged that the police at Awkuzu state CID Annex might have killed his brother and used him for ritual purposes since they cannot produce his corpse. According to him, the last time the family had appointment with the police team investigating the matter at Zone 13, Ukpo, they were surprised to hear that the IPO, Michael Nelson and his team leader, known as Big Sam, earlier detained over the case have been released without their knowledge.
While calling for justice over the matter, the family insisted that the police should come clean and tell them what happened to their brother and also show them the corpse if he is actually dead even as they called on various human right bodies to assist them ensure that those involved in the heinous crime doesn’t escape the wrath of the law.
The Zonal Command Police Public Relations Officer, Zone 13, Ukpo, Nkiruka Nwode when contacted to provide police response to the allegation said she had not been briefed on the extent of investigation on the matter. She, however promised to make enquiries and act accordingly.
