CP Orders Arrest Of IPO, Others …Over Escape Of Murder Suspect

Palpable fear has gripped officers and men of Okporo Police Station in Rivers State following the alleged sudden escape of a murder suspect, Ifeanyichukwu Maxwell Dike in their custody, last Sunday night.
The Tide recalls that the murder suspect was arrested by a combined team of Okporo Police Station and Eliozu community vigilante in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, last Saturday, for defiling and murdering an eight-year- old girl, Miss Chikamso Victory for alleged ritual purposes.
Consequently, the state Commissioner of Police, Zaki Mohammed Ahmed has ordered the immediate arrest and detention of the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in the matter for negligence of duty.
He also directed an intensive manhunt for the runaway suspect to ensure that he is re-arrested in order to restore public confidence in the ability of the police to protect innocent citizens and enforce law and order in the state.
Dike, a 200-level student of Physics Department, University of Port Harcourt, was arrested, last Saturday, for the killing of an eight-year old girl, who was a neighbour living in the same area.
The escapee suspect was alleged to have raped the little girl on that fateful day before killing her as well as mutilating her vital body parts for ritual purposes.
He was later arrested by members of Eliozu community vigilante group and handed over to the Okporo Police Station where he allegedly escaped while being led to the detention room by the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) after taking his statement.
Reacting to the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Zaki Mohammed Ahmed said he had directed the arrest and detention of the IPO in-charge of the matter, while investigation was on-going to determine the circumstances of the incident.
He added that the photograph of the suspect has also been released, and urged members of the public to assist the police with useful information that would lead to the re-arrest of the suspect.
According to him, the suspect took the advantage of darkness at the police station to outsmart the police officer while he was taking him to the detention room, adding that the command has mobilised both material and human resources in search of the suspect.
He called on members of the public to be patient and have confidence on the ability of the police to get the suspect apprehended.
“We feel bad for what had happened; we have mobilized both human and material resources to ensure that the culprit is re-arrested. People should have the confidence in the police and give useful information that will lead to his re-arrest”, he stated.
Also speaking while narrating how the suspect escaped from the police custody, the father of the slain Chikamso Victory, Mr. Ernest Mezioba told our correspondent that the killer of his eight-year old daughter escaped after both of them (he and the suspect) had written their statements at the police station, last Sunday night.
He admitted that both of them wrote their statements with candle light and were supervised by the IPO and other police officers at the station.
“The suspect pretended that he was tasty and the IPO persuaded me to buy water for him. On my way to buy the water, I heard shout, ‘Please help me, the guy has run away’,” the victim’s father recalled.
Mezioba vowed not to relent until justice was served, and the killers of his daughter brought to book.