Alleged murder of 16-year-old: Crusade for Justice petitions IGP

A non-governmental organisation, Crusade for Justice (CJ), has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), over alleged gruesome murder of a 16 year old boy, Chidera Ezeanya, by the owner of Iron Smelting Company, Mr. Ifeanyi Okpoko.

The deceased was allegedly beaten, tortured and tied up, suspended with his hands and legs at his back for hours before he died at the private residence of Mr. Okpoko.

Mr. Okpoko was said to have alleged that the deceased was among other boys who stole his phones.

But the group, in a letter dated November 7, 2017 titled: “Complaint against Mr. Ifeanyi Okpoko (alias Anagwanti) and several others over the murder of the late Chidera Ezeanya and the role of the Homicide team attached to the Force Headquarters in this matter”, signed by its founder, Mr. Richard Nwankwo, urged the police boss to use his good office to stop the planned arraignment of the suspect by the police without completion of investigation in order to hurriedly secure the suspect bail.

The letter which was copied leadership of the National Assembly, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, asked the police chief determines “whether a clear directive from his office to the men of the Force Intelligence Bureau Annex, Lagos could be overridden by a petition from a murder suspect; whether murder suspect has the constitutional ambience to determine who should investigate alleged crimes involving them; whether the men of the Homicide section have the mandate of his office to investigate a matter currently being investigated by IGP office and; whether suspects are entitled to 24 hours access to the telephone and internet services, which the suspect used while at the police station at Ogidi, Anambra state and presently at the Homicide section at the Force Headquarters?”

Part of the letter reads: “It is instructive to note that when the community raised a search party to locate the whereabouts of the deceased, Mr. Ifeanyi Okpoko told them that the deceased was taken to the SARS office, at Awkuzu, to give the impression that the deceased was involved in some criminal acts, but the truth soon came to light.

“After the murder of the deceased, Mr. Ifeanyi Okpoko, secretly took his corpse to Iyi Enu Hospital also in Anambra State.
“We must draw your attention to the fact that while this heinous crime was being committed, pictures were taken showing the beastly and extremely callous disposition of Mr. Ifeanyi Okpoko and his accomplices.

“Equally noteworthy is the fact that the suspect, Mr. Ifeanyi Okpoko, while in custody at the said Ogidi Police station in Anambra state, had free access to telephone and was sending messages on Facebook and other social platforms. Naturally and consequently, he mustered the courage and effrontery to initiate a suspicious, questionable and, a most arrogant transfer of this matter to the Homicide section of the Force Headquarters against your earlier directive. This is extremely provocative, unacceptable and tragic.

“We view with extreme suspicion, disgust and lack of trust, the action of the men of the Homicide section, who are now trying to overreach a standing directive issued by your office.”

Peter Fowoyo