Igbo Groups Call On FG, IGP To Probe Killing Of Police Officers In Anambra

An umbrella trade organisation for the Igbo, the Ala-Igbo Development Foundation (ADF), has urged the Federal authorities to probe the killing of two serving policemen in Oraifite, Anambra State.

The organisation, which comprises the Association of South-East Town Unions (ASETU) and the United Anambra State Association of Canada (UASAC) said the inquiry was necessary so as to bring the full weight of the law on the culprits,

The two officers were Assistant Commissioner of Police, Oliver Inoma-Abbey who before his murder, was the Divisional Police Officer, Ekwusigo Local Government Area, Anambra and Assistant Superintendent of Police, Joseph Akubo, PMF, SARS and Special Anti-Cult Units in the Ekwusigo council.

The Anambra State Police Command, on December 2, 2019, had in a statement by Superintendent of Police Haruna Mohammed, the Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), declared Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the lawyer to the IPOB wanted following the tragedy.

The assailants suspected to be IPOB members reportedly laid ambush and attacked the vehicle conveying the officers, who led police operations to the community, before setting their corpses ablaze.

The late Oliver Inoma-Abbey from Bonny Island in Rivers was to be installed Chief and Head of the Abbey-Hart Chieftaincy House of ancient Bonny Kingdom in 2020 after he would have retired next April.

Speaking on Tuesday on the gruesome murder, the ADF urged the government and the Inspector General of Police to investigate the issue that led to the crisis in the home of Ifeanyi Ejiofor, at Ifite-Oraifite community in Ekwusigo local government area.

In a statement by the chairman of ADF Bureau of Media and Publicity, Chief Abia Onyike, the body equally asked other pan-Igbo organisations to initiate a joint inquiry into the Oraifite mayhem.

“Ndigbo should not fold their hands when the Federal Government, her army and security forces as well as the insurgent herdsmen have invaded and occupied Alaigbo, terrorizing and brutalising the citizens,” the ADF alleged.

Similarly, UASAC, in a statement by its president, Chief Chuks Ejikeme, and the public relations officer, Mr Ifeanyi Ilukwe, condemned the extrajudicial killing of the police officers and civilians, as well as the destruction of properties at Ejiofor’s compound, in order to prevent future occurrence.

However, the organisation appealed to the police to handle the case with best practices’ principle, just as it maintained that the association was committed to the general security and stability of the nation at large.

While condoling with the police and families of the slain officers, called on President Muhammadu Buhari, as the chief security officer of the country, to do all within his power to bring the perpetrators to justice.
On his part, the national president of

ASETU, Chief Emeka Diwe, however, urged Nigerians to always speak out in cases of abuse of power by law enforcement agencies, even as he described the recent incident as “reprehensible and outrageous, hence “must be condemned by everyone who means well for the country