The family of slain 17 year-old-boy, Chidera Ezeanya, who was abducted and murdered penultimate week at Umunnama Village, Eziowelle in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, over transfer of the case against the prime suspect, Ifeanyi Okpoko, to Force Headquarters, Abuja without prior notice.
In a statement on Monday, Counsel to the family, Barr Patrick Ekwunife, alleged that the sudden transfer of the case file from Ogidi Police in Idemili, Anambra State where the suspect was kept until last week Thursday to Abuja was not only suspicious but indicated foul play.
He maintained that the family of the deceased was not party to the transfer of the suspect; stressing that the Police wanted to help Mr. Okpoko to escape justice.
The statement reads in part: “I have written a petition to the Office of the Inspector General of Police. However, I was told that before signal came from the IGP`s office, another signal which I don’t know the source came, directing the Anambra State Police to transfer the suspect to Abuja.
“I want the world to know that the Police at Ogidi want to help a ritual murderer to escape justice. How on earth can somebody who is under arrest for ritual murder be allowed to be using phone in the cell with which he is using to communicate with the others members of his gang who are still at large.”
“With the same phone, he has been sending threatening text messages to the members of the family of the deceased and bragging on his Facebook page that nothing would happen to him, and to prove that he meant what he is saying, he had contacted a lawyer who wrote a petition to an unknown police division and last Thursday, we were told that he has been transferred to Abuja,” Ekwunife said
He added that, “the suspect even had the audacity to tell the Commissioner of Police in Anambra state that the allegation against him was not murder but mob action and as such the charge should be changed.”
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