Murder: Enugu families accuse monarch of distorting facts and insist suspects must be brought to justice

The families of the two indigenes of Akpawfu Community in Nkanu East Local Government Area of ​​Enugu State who were recently murdered in cold blood are insisting on justice for their deceased.

They accused a traditional ruler in the region, Igwe Christopher Nnamani, of distorting the facts and insisted that the monarch and those they described as his cohorts had questions to answer.

They made the comments in response to a media release condemning the police treatment of the arrested suspects.

The families now called on the police to arrest and interrogate the traditional ruler.

DAILY POST recalls that the deceased, namely Chief Israel Nnaji and Chukwudi Nweke Oka, were gruesomely murdered in their respective homes in June and July this year by gunmen who invaded their homes.

While the late Nnaji was assassinated on June 21, 2024, Oka was killed on July 16, 2024.

The families hinted that soon after the ugly incident, the police arrested six suspects in connection with the heinous crime.

They included Sunday Nwobodo Edeaniafu aka (Devil Spoon) “M”, Onyeka Nnaji (a.k.a. Apiawa) “M”, Nnamdi Nnam (a.k.a. Junior) “M” (4), Okenwa Chigozie (a.k.a. ochiwar) “M”, Uwabunkeonye Nnamai ( alias Asaba) “M” and Nnaemeka Nnamani (alias Nweze) “M”, and they were arraigned in court on 19/09/2024 while Echerem Paul and others were still at large.

They accused the traditional ruler and a human rights group of misinforming the public through the media.

A statement jointly issued by both families on Sunday and made available to journalists in Enugu also accused the royal father of allegedly shielding the arrested suspects under the guise that they were not criminals but operatives of the community’s neighborhood watch group.

The document signed on behalf of the two families of Chief Godwin Ede and Chief Ugochukwu Nnaji contradicted the monarch’s claim that the perpetrators were foreigners from the community.

According to the families, “Police are intensifying all efforts to arrest the fugitives and also bring them to justice for acts of terrorism, banditry, armed robbery and gruesome murder of Chief Israel Nnaji and Chukwudi Nweke Oka.”

“The families of the two murdered men saw fit to respond after duly informing our legal team who instructed us to respond as follows and say:

“It is strange and ridiculous that the author of the so-called publication claimed that he had written to the Inspector General of Police demanding justice for detained suspects who were allegedly tortured and shot in the legs by the police in Enugu.

“This lawyer, supposedly seeking justice, failed and refused to disclose. He informed him and verified his facts thoroughly before going to the press to embarrass the police and publish such a false and misleading publication which is full of falsehoods, falsification of facts etc.” Fraud.

“The said publication is intended to effectively counter the meticulous police investigations being carried out by the Octopus Squad of the Enugu State Command targeting the Akpawfu community which has been rife with criminality and delinquency over the last three years and which has recently witnessed over twenty In the same circumstances, Chief Israel Nnaji and Chukwudi Nweke Okah were killed and buried.

“The police investigation carried out so far by the Octopus Squad Enugu State Command has fully established that the above-mentioned person committed the crime as charged and has been a terror in the Akpawfu community by committing all kinds of heinous crimes such as armed robbery, murder, “Committed arson and arson under the guise of being a Community Security Neighborhood Watch.”

Continuing to narrate what happened, they said: “On July 21, 2024, Mrs. Coredelia Nnaji, wife of Chief Israel Nnaji, reported that at about 1:30 a.m. she heard the pained voice of her now deceased husband, Chief Israel Nnaji, who begged the attackers not to kill him.

“When she opened the door to see what was happening to her husband, one of the attackers, who was standing near the door, shouted to her to lie down facing the floor; otherwise she would be killed immediately.

“The attacker took a piece of iron rod and started beating her all over her body, causing her severe pain. The same attackers collected her valuables including money and phones and went to her husband’s room where she met other gang members who were already with her husband and he along with them beat the husband with the iron rod and finally killed him so he was left in his pool of blood.

“They continued to search his room, stole an unknown amount of money and his motorcycle and fled the scene.”

“The woman, however, during the operation identified two of the attackers led by Nnamdi Nnam (alias Junior), Okenwa Chigozie (alias Ochiwar), Uwabunkeonye Nnamani (alias Asaba) and Nnaemeka Nnamani (alias Nwaeze).

“On July 16, 2024, the same group of miscreants led by Mr. Sunday Nwobodo alias (Devil’s Spoon) Onyekachi Nnaji alias (Apiawa) and others still at large, again attacked and killed Mr. Chukwudi Nweke Oka at his house .

“The Akpawfu community is no longer comfortable with this situation as the youths are now restless and ready for a showdown.

“Following this heinous murder of these two prominent members of the community, the case was initially reported at Amuagunze Police Station, a petition was subsequently addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Enugu and the Inspector-General of Police for their necessary orders, following which the matter was dealt with. “ was referred to the Command Octopus Squad for processing.

“The six arrested suspects have been thoroughly vetted, investigated and fully charged and have now been arraigned on six counts before the Enugu Magistrate’s Court.

“However, on September 19, 2024, the trial judge declined jurisdiction and remanded the defendants to the Enugu Correctional Center while ordering the transfer of the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions for review and prosecution before the Supreme Court.” was then postponed to 4. October 2024 adjourned to receive an update report from DPP.

“It is regrettable to note that the authors of the publication and Igwe Christopher Nnamani lack knowledge of the police operational strategy and its rules of engagement.”

When contacted on his mobile phone, Igwe Nnamani denied any wrongdoing, saying his only sin was not remaining silent and watching police officers treat those currently in custody like common criminals, even when they are still presumed innocent .

He maintained that the persons arrested by the police for the alleged killing of the two indigenes were community neighborhood watch personnel and not criminals or members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as claimed.

The traditional ruler, who claimed that the arrested suspects were shot by police in the cell, added that they also made confessions under duress.

He condemned the suspects’ detention in a police cell for 19 days before taking them to court, insisting they were not being treated fairly by security forces.

As a traditional ruler, he said he would always speak the truth in the community no matter whose ox was gored