Police Panel Begins Investigation Into Anambra Killings

The special investigation panel investigating the allegations of extra-judicial killings, extortion, unprofessionalism and highhandedness against police officers of the Anambra State command and Zone 13, Ukpo-Dunukofia, has commenced a full-scale investigation into the allegations as investigators have moved to scenes and sites for on-the-spot-assessment.

Force spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the inspector-general of police, IGP Usman Baba had tasked the team to harness all available means and spread its tentacles towards ensuring that all information received via the channels made available to the public is properly examined to assist the investigations, subsequent report of findings and recommendations.

Part of the statement by the Force PRO stated that “the Nigeria Police Force wishes to disabuse the minds of well-meaning members of the public and all interested stakeholders that the panel comprising respected and thoroughbred officers including officers of the IGP monitoring unit, reports directly to the inspector-general of police and shall discharge the responsibility professionally and ensure justice.

“The NPF also reassures that the Anambra RRS, Okuzu, will definitely be reorganised and sanitized to suit the present ideologies and administrative styles of the Force leadership in conformity with international best practices.

“This sanitisation will be equally extended to other tactical squads across the NPF.”

The police also stated that the officers, who include CSP Patrick Agbazue, officer-in-charge of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Anambra State command; SP Nwode Nkeiruka, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Zone 13 headquarters, Ukpo-Dunukofia, and inspector Harrison Akama attached to the RRS were never arrested as they were only invited to give their statements.

The statement added that “it is imperative to clear the air that the officers fingered in the trending allegation were never arrested or detained. Rather, they were summoned to the Force headquarters for interrogation in order to have a clue on the trending allegations.

“Due to the denial of the allegations raised by a blogger, the inspector-general of police then set in motion the process for diligent investigations.

“It is, however, crucial to state that this process/development will not in any way truncate the current conscientious investigation into the allegations as many aggrieved persons have reached out to the panel for more deliberations and information sharing.”