The Imo State Police Command says its operatives of Obowo Divisional Headquarters, have arrested the owner of ‘Our Guest House’, Umulogho, Obowo, Ibe Obasi, 38yrs, who was allegedly involved in the murder of a 25-year-old Ebuka Udemba, an indigene of Umuokpa in Obowo LGA of Imo State.
The arrest followed an outcry raised by a Rights Group, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC, after it received complaints about the arrest of people of the community after they protested over the death of the young boy.
TNC investigations gathered that the late Chukwuebuka, was on Thursday, accused of stealing a cell phone belonging to a military officer who lodged at the said hotel, where the boy was working.
Upon being summoned and confronted with the allegation of stealing the phone, the boy denied knowing anything about the missing phone.
The owner of the hotel claimed he went to a native doctor with the boy and the native doctor confirmed that Chukwuebuka stole the phone, but the young man insisted on his innocence.
The late Chukwuebuka was consequently beaten and tortured in a bid to force him to confess and was finally locked up in a small room where the hotel’s diesel generator is housed with heavy fumes emanating from the diesel engine.
On Friday, the hotel management opened the generator room and found the boy dead, apparently from a combination of the torture inflicted on him and suffocation.
It was gathered that the owner of the guest house had contacted the military officer who arrived at the Guest house later and they took the deceased boy’s corpse and dumped it in a cassava farm near the guest house.
On Saturday morning, youths of the community who knew the boy discovered his corpse and upon learning about what transpired, took the decomposing dead body in a wheelbarrow to the guesthouse in protest during which they caused some damage to the guest house property.
According to the RULAAC Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma,
this prompted the hotel management to contact the army personnel again who mobilized police and military intervention.
“Since Sunday, police and military operatives have been on the rampage, indiscriminately arresting and brutalizing youths in the community.
“The poor parents of the murdered boy identified as Mr. Udomba Nwaneri and Mrs. Rose Nwaneri are in fear as some of their family members are also among those either arrested or facing intimidation and threat of arrest,” Nwanguma said.
The RULAAC boss while condemning the resort to self-help by the military officer and the hotel owner who took laws into their own hands, instead of handing him over to the police for discrete investigation, maintained that trial by ordeal and torture are both crimes under Nigerian laws.
“RULAAC calls on the Commissioner of Police, Imo State to halt the ongoing Indiscriminate mass arrests in Umulogho Obowo by police and army personnel.
“All those illegally arrested should be released without delay.
“RULAAC calls for a prompt, impartial, and exhaustive investigation into the circumstances leading to the murder of Chukwuebuka Nwaneri.
“If the military officer and the hotel management are found culpable, they should be charged and tried in accordance with the law,” the RULAAC noted.
Meanwhile, in a statement made available to TNC correspondent on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Imo Police Command, ASP Henry Okoye, while confirming the allegations, said the owner of the guest house has been arrested.
He further revealed that the suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Owerri for consolidation of the ongoing investigation.
He said; “The suspect- the guesthouse owner has provided useful information that will assist the determined operatives in arresting all the suspects in connection to the case.
“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma has tasked the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of SCID to carry out a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the remote circumstances surrounding the death of the victim and ensure that all the suspects involved are arrested and made to the full wrath of the law.
“While commiserating with the families, friends, and relatives of the victim, the Commissioner of Police strongly condemns the cruel act and calls on the people of Obowo LGA, particularly the residents of Umulogho to refrain from taking laws into their hands as the Command is on top of the situation and has commenced a thorough investigation to apprehend the suspects linked to the case of murder and bring them brought to book.”
