A 21-year-old man, Chukwubuike
Onuoha, has been shot dead by a police sergeant identified as Collins Akpugo.
The incident happened in
Okwulagha Afara Ukwu community, Umuahia, Abia State.
Mr. Akpugo is said to be attached
to the Special Protection Unit (SPU) of the Nigeria Police Force, Abia State
Command.
This newspaper gathered that the
incident occurred on Monday night while the deceased was standing in front of
his father’s compound with other persons, including his brother.
Speaking on how the killing
happened, witnesses said Mr Onuoha was shot after he complained about how the
police officer flashed his Toyota Hilux van’s light on them.
Rather than dim the light, the
officer who was believed to be drunk alighted from his vehicle and shot Mr
Onuoha on the shoulder.
It was gathered that efforts by
other persons around including the deceased’s brother to challenge the police
officer failed as he threatened them with his gun. He later shot the deceased,
lying on the floor, on his chest, left his vehicle and ran away.
One of the witnesses, Okiroro
Stephen, who spoke late Tuesday night, said: “He was drunk
when he (the police) carried out the act. He was merely told by the youth to
dim his full light. Instead, he wasted the life of Chukwubuike and ran away.”
Angered by the police officer’s
action, residents immediately set his vehicle ablaze.
It was also learnt that
residents of the area, on Tuesday, stormed major roads in the Abia capital to
protest the killing of their colleague.
Speaking to journalists during
the protest, Ngozi Ogbonna, a woman leader from the community, who led the
protesters, said: “We know Collins very well, he is a tenant in our community.
He (the police officer) killed our son for no just cause. He was confirmed dead
at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, this morning (Tuesday)”.
“We have gone to the government
to complain; we are also going to the police command to express our grievances
to them. All we want is justice in this matter”, she was quoted.
Confirming the incident, the
state police spokesperson, Geoffrey Ogbonna, said the commissioner of police,
Okon Enen, has ordered the investigation of matter and also sent some delegates
to the deceased family to commiserate with them.
Before now, the Inspector-General
of Police, Mohammed Adamu, while condemning the incessant killing of innocent
citizens, said extrajudicial killing is unacceptable.
“…Aside negating our professional
calling, extrajudicial acts of any description or level by any police personnel
is an unacceptable anomaly that creates disdain between the citizens and their
police and widen the trust gap between them,’’ he said.
He warned that any police
personnel that engages in abuse of his or her powers or misuses weapons in
utter disregard to statutory provisions would be arrested.
“The person will be investigated
through our internal disciplinary machinery and if found culpable, shall be
dismissed from service. In addition, such personnel will be charged to court
for murder or sundry offences depending on his or her level of criminal liability
in the instance.”
“Furthermore, the line
supervisors of such officer, including the Area Commander, Divisional Police
Officer or Sectional Head, shall be held vicariously liable for lacking
supervision and shall be similarly sanctioned,” the police chief said.
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