Rep Member, Groups, Want Bricklayer Killer Policemen Prosecuted
– call on Tinubu, IGP for justice
By Our Reporter
The member representing Anambra East/West federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Peter Aniekwe, has joined the growing list of concerned citizens and groups from within and outside Anam in Anambra West local government area of Anambra state in demanding justice for a bricklayer allegedly killed by trigger-happy policemen of the Delta state police command.
Aniekwe, in a strongly worded petition sent to the Commissioner of Police, Delta State, and copied to the Chairman, Police Service Commission, Dr Solomon Arase, the Chairman National Human Rights Commission and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Delta State, described the alleged killing of his constituent by the police officers as barbaric, wicked and unacceptable in a modern society.
In the petition sighted by AnambraDaily, the lawmaker called on all the authorities to urgently intervene so as to ensure that investigation is conducted into the matter and decisive action taken. Aniekwe prayed the police commissioner to “kindly, urgently use your good offices to cause detailed investigation to unravel circumstances that led to the gruesome murder of late Mr Jideovor Aniekwe by the said police officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad from police headquarters, Asaba, Delta state.
The deceased, Mr Jideovo Aniekwe, also a fisherman from Umuoba Anam was reportedly killed by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Delta State Police Command at Bonsac area of Asaba in the early hours of Wednesday, January 17, 2024.
The deceased, AnambraDaily gathered, visited his brother, Edwin Mmeze to solicit financial support for his children’s school fees when the police operatives, said to be chasing some hoodlums, fired at him.
According to a family source, the deceased had slept over at Mmeze (his brother’s) house because it was late for him to return to his own house. Things went from bad to tragic for him when, around midnight, they heard some noise coming from outside. Out of curiosity, the deceased along with other residents, came out only to notice armed men knocking at the gate.
“Thinking that the men were armed robbers, they ran to different directions in the compound because there was nothing to identify the men as policemen. The policemen caught up with Aniekwe, shot him dead and went away with the body.”
It was further disclosed that Aniekwe’s family later approached the police for the release of his corpse for burial but that they were allegedly told to sign an undertaking never to bring up the matter again. The family rejected that condition immediately.
Meanwhile, AnambraDaily can authoritatively report that the gruesome murder of the 43-year-old bricklayer had sparked a wave of public outcry amongst youths and groups in the Anam area, with many stoutly demanding investigation and prosecution of the police officers behind the alleged murder.
Already, concerned citizens and groups from Anam have started mobilizing themselves for legal battle aimed at bringing the killer cops to book. The movement tagged ‘Justice4Jideovor,’ this paper reliably gathered, was mobilizing hundreds of Anam youths and pooling resources and manpower to ensure that killers of their kinsman do not escape justice.
A member of one of the groups called Nzoputa-Anam, told this paper that efforts were geared towards securing the immediate release of the deceased’s corpse for burial according to Anam customs. “We are also demanding the prosecution of the officers involved in this dastardly killing and payment of adequate compensation to the family of the deceased. We are not going to let them get away with this gruesome murder of a promising Anam son,” the source who preferred anonymity said.
This paper equally gathered that Umuoba Anam youths as well as the deceased’s age mates, Mmekoka Age Grade, were equally mobilizing to ensure that the perpetrators of the crime do not escape justice.
A youth leader from Umuoba Anam, who spoke to this paper under anonymity, expressed disappointment with the manner the police authority in Delta state have handled the matter so far, stressing that the decision to mobilize resources to fight for justice was largely to ensure that they did not get away with the crime of killing Jideovor Aniekwe.
“We have realized that despite assurances of intervention, the police authority has not initiated serious investigation into the matter that would lead to the prosecution of the perpetrators. That is why we are mobilizing ourselves to fight them within the ambit of law. They will not get away with this one. They must know that you cannot kill anybody from Anam who did not commit any crime and go scot-free.
“We are, therefore, calling on President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, civil society groups, and all well-meaning Nigerians to compel immediate investigation into the matter for justice to be done.”
Meanwhile, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, has not officially made any official statement on the matter, or reacted to inquiries about the position of the Delta State Police Command on the matter, as at the time of going to press.