Men of Enugu State Police Command have arrested one Mr Emeka Ogbu, the principal witness to the police killing of the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Law Student, Augustine Ugwu in Enugu.
Augustine was arrested in a beer parlour by local security outfit setup by the late Chairman of Nsukka local government area, Patrick Omeje, and handed him over to Officer-in-charge of Nsukka police anti-cult unit, DSP Nnamdi Ochin.
Ochin was however, accused by the family of Augustine of killing their son when his whereabouts could not be traced shortly after he was handed over to the police.
Following the family’s petition to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Admu, immediately setup six-man investigation team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Gabriel Elaigbwu to unravel the disappearance of the law student at the police custody.
It was further gathered that the principal witness, Mr. Ogbu alias ‘meek meek’ whose shop, the local security arrested Augustine, was arrested three days after he had testified before the IGP Panel investigating the killing.
A police source told our correspondent on Thursday that Mr. Ogbu, was first arrested by the operatives of the Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) in Nsukka for undisclosed offense, and was later released and asked to report back in few days time.
“So, when he reported as he was ordered at the SARS office in Enugu, he was re-arrested and handed over to police anti-cult unit. They are trying to link any criminal act to kill him,” the source disclosed.
The father of Late Augustine, Mr Andy Ugwu, who confirmed the arrest and detention of the witness to the killing of his son on telephone interview, said he was arrested after testifying before the IG’s panel that is investigating the murder in Enugu.
Ugwu said “policemen attached to SARS office in Nsukka came to his house, searched his house and nothing incriminating was recovered. They now arrested him and took him to their office in Enugu. He was released and was asked to report back, and when he reported on the appointment, they re-arrested him and took him to police anti-cult unit in Enugu.
“There was no offense they said he committed. What they were doing is to see how they can connect him to being a member of any cult group. That is the area they were dragging him since a month now.
“The counsel to my late son went with his family members to know the offense he committed but they have continued to tell them come today come tomorrow. As I am talking to you he is still in detention at the police anti-cult unit, Enugu.
“They have refused to release him on bail or charge him to court for four weeks now, for committing no offense other than testifying before a police investigation panel,” he alleged.
Distressed Ugwu also told our correspondent that Enugu State Police Command is yet to release the remains of his son to his family for burial four months after his murder.
He alleged that police are trying to kill the principal witness in the name that he wanted to escape so that police officers who killed his son will escape justice.
Meanwhile, the report of the IG’s investigation panel on the killing has not been released four months after Augustine was killed, while the accused officers have been redeployed to other divisions.
Efforts to get the reaction of the state police command were unsuccessful as the commissioner, Ahmad Abdurrahman and the police public relations officer, Daniel Ndukwe could not answer their calls.
They also did not replied the text messages sent to their mobile phones.
