…Ak47 Rifles Missing
From Nweke Nweke, Onitsha
In their bid to fight the widespread illegal arrests by some of the policemen serving in Anambra state police command, angry youths from Ogbunike community, Oyi council area of the state on the May day, stated the campaign when they attacked five policemen from Oyi police division whom 247ureports learnt went to Ogbunike community to arrest a youth said to be having a little misunderstanding with a colleague.
On the arrival of the policemen (all in mufti) flanked with their AK47according to eyewitness account, the youths at the scene resisted on the ground that the misunderstanding has been resolved but the men of the force insisted that they were sent by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, DSP Ade, noting that they must arrest and take their suspect to the police division.
As a clever people, one of the youths, it was gathered made call across to the police division and discovered that the policemen never booked their movement to Ogbunike community and the intended arrest fetched the five officers the last beatings of their lives.
As the youths kept mobilizing, four out of the five policemen were able to escape, a police corporal simply identified as Timaya, serving in the police Division was allegedly lynched on the spot at Oye Olisa market and in the process, the youths allegedly made away with some of the Ak47 rifles as the escaped ones dropped their rifles and was able to mix up with the crowd.
It was authoritatively gathered that the team was led by an inspector of police as their motion was to enable them meet up with the weekly ‘RETURNS’ allegedly introduced by the accused most corrupt Divisional Police Officer, DPO, DSP Ade
Though police swiftly denied that the victim went to effect arrest in the market, eyewitnesses disclosed that the incident was not unconnected to the disenchantment by the youths that policemen from far away Oyi police division allegedly sent by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, Ade invaded their community to arrest somebody in another police division.
The source further disclosed that Timaya and his team had arrived the market at about 9am when the angry youths resisted the arrest and in the ensuing hullabaloo, the mob overpowered the policemen and others ran away while the deceased could not escape and he was killed.
“Timaya came to Oye Olisa with other five men who were also policemen, they went to arrest somebody but it was like the youths resisted the arrest on the ground that they had come for an illegal duty and demanded why they came for an arrest in Ogbunike which is a stone throw to Ogidi police station. There was disagreement and the mob rose against them, others escaped but Timaya could not escape and he was lynched to death”
However, it was gathered that the lifeless body of the policeman was left at the major road in the pool of his own blood before the arrival of policemen from the Ogidi police station who came and took away his body and deposited it at a nearby mortuary.
When contacted, the Onitsha Area Commander, Assistant Commissioner of police, Mr. Benjamin Wourd said he had not been briefed by the DPO in charge of the division where the deceased was serving and promised to get back to this reporter.
