Abia Govt Indicts Police Over Aide’s Death

The Police said yesterday in Umuahia, the Abia State capital that three policemen have been arrested in connection with Saturday’s killing of an aide to Governor Theodore Orji’s son, Chinedu.
The Abia State Police Command spokesman, Geoffrey Ogbonnaya (ASP), who stated this in Umuahia, confirmed the death of the aide, identified as John Ndubuka.
Briefing newsmen on the incident yesterday, the Abia State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Eze Chikamnayo, also confirmed the incident, and said that the shots were fired by the police.
Chikamnayo, however, explained that the shots were “only two” fired into the air to disperse the crowd at the entrance to the venue of the reception.
He said that the source of the killer shot could not be ascertained, but that the police had begun full investigation into the incident.
Ogbonnaya told newsmen that the suspects were arrested between Saturday evening and yesterday morning, adding that the command had commenced full investigation into the incident.
The incident occurred during a civic reception organised for the governor in Umuahia by the people of Ikwuano, Umuahia North and Umuahia South local government areas, respectively.
An eyewitness said that the deceased, who was part of the crowd at the site of the old Umuahia main market, where the event took place, suddenly slumped and started bleeding.
“When he slumped, nobody knew what happened to him until we saw blood gushing out from his chest,” the eyewitness said on condition of anonymity.
The deceased was said to have been rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, where he reportedly died.
Ogbonnaya explained that the investigation would help the police to unravel the circumstances that led to the death.

Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM, King GNK Gininwa (left) listening to Onwa of Ndoni, Chief Victor Odili (right) during the Thanksgiving Service in honour of Senator Magnus Abe at St. Bath’s Anglican Church, Bera, Gokana LGA of Rivers State, last Saturday. Photo: Chris Monyanaga