The father of slain 27-year-old final year student of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, Anambra State, Chief Rex Okechukwu, has faulted the Anambra State Police Command for releasing the suspect fingered in the alleged murder of his son.
Okechukwu, whose son, Noel Chinedu, was allegedly murdered by private security guards attached to Stella Odua’s Estate in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, on August 17, insisted that releasing the prime suspect amounted to “injustice” and “aberration” on the part of the police.
As a result, he said he had petitioned the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, to get justice over the matter.
He, however, accused the police of conspiracy and gang-up to cover up the matter, insisting that the constitution of Nigeria did not give room for bail to a murder suspect.
The petition titled, ‘Re: Gruesome murder of my 27-year-old undergraduate son by private security guards in Anambra’, was made available to our correspondent on Thursday.
It read in part, “I refer to my previous memoranda on the foregoing subject matter and wish to inform that the murder suspect has been on police bail since the origin of the case. The implication of this negative trend cannot be over-emphasised considering that it will offer him an opportunity to tamper with police investigation.
“With the eventual transfer of the matter to the NPF Zone 13 Hq, Ukpo by the operatives of the SCID Anambra State Command, on Thursday, October 31, 2024, it seemed as business as usual.
“Like the SCID Awka experience, the murder suspect was allowed on ‘executive fiat’ to go home on bail soon after he reported at the zonal command headquarters Ukpo, Dunukofia LGA.
“I am reliably informed and I verily believe that a case of murder is among the capital offences in which bail is denied at all levels. Inquiries revealed that the police detectives also frowned on the development describing it as an aberration. They confided that they were merely obeying ‘orders from the above.’’’
The petitioner said intelligence at his disposal further revealed that the employer of the killer suspect, a former senator, had been making serious moves to frustrate investigations into the matter.
“It will be recalled that the former senator’s awkward interest was first noticed when she invited the DPO, Atani Ogbaru, Mr I. Andrew, to her residence over the murder incident during the early days of September 2024.
“Sir, inasmuch as I am aware that there are no different laws for the calibre of citizens and/or positions in society, it is sad and appalling that an ex-senator should indulge in unwholesome acts tantamount to abetting heinous crimes
“It is pertinent to state that the cold-blooded murder of my innocent son simply exposed the incessant human killings in the estate located in a serene and isolated zone in Akili-Ozizor for inexplicable purposes.”
He sought the intervention of the police officers to do the needful in the discharge of their onerous assignments.
However, when contacted over the development on Thursday, the command’s spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the matter had been transferred to Zone 13 headquarters for a comprehensive investigation.
Ikenga, however, did not comment on the claims that the murder suspect was released or not.
“The case has been transferred to our immediate supervisory formation, Zone 13 Ukpo for a comprehensive investigation, please. We are on it.
“We have reached out to Zone 13 where the case is being investigated, because they are our supervisory body with the concerns of the victim and is being looked into. We will get back to him as soon as we can, please,” Ikenga added.
