Azia, Anambra Community, Police Disagree Over Killing Of 20yr Old Girl
The shooting to death of Miss Chidimma Ezeanochie 20 yrs, from Umudansu Village Azia Community in Ihiala Local Government Area has generated arguments between the Police Command in the state and the Community.
Ezeanochie was shot to death on Nov. 25 when her mother sent her to buy satchet water in company of her 14 year old brother at a nearby shop.
The community in a petition directed the Inspector General of Police accused the Police of directly shooting the girl at close range while her brother escaped narrowly but the Police has come out to debunk the claim.
The petition was entitled “Gruesome Murder Of Miss Chidimma Ezeanochie By Policemen Of Special Unit Deployed From Awka To Orsumoghu On 25th November, 2021” and signed by Dr Tonna Nwabueze, President General of Azia General Assembly.
Ezeanochie said little Miss Chidimma was sent on an errand by the mother to buy bags of water from a shop at Ogwumabiri, along Orsumoghu–Azia road where she met her untimely death from policemen.
The Community described the murder as gruesome, wicked and totally unacceptable to it and demanded for justice from the Police hierarchy on the murder of their daughter
According to them, Chidimma and her brother were shot at close range by one of the men of this Special Unit inside an Armoured vehicle,
“Fortunately the brother was spared but the bullet scattered our daughter’s head with the brain matter on the ground.
She died instantly. It’s quite unimaginable because there was no form of provocation that could be linked to this, presently her body is deposited at Osungwu memorial hospital mortuary, Okija.
“About 100 meters from the site of this incident, they equally opened fire on a packed Sienna Space Bus by a block industry.
“We contacted the Area Commander on this, he told us that the policemen are a special Unit from Awka deployed to Orsumoghu against the IPOB boys,” it stated.
But in a reaction, Police Command in Anambra has condoled with the family of Miss Chidimma but exonerated itself from her murder.
The Police in a Statement signed by DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra described the claim that she was killed by Police officers who were on a rescue/recovery mission in the area.
The Police said earlier on that day, a Police escort team consisting of seven policemen and three civilian drivers traveling through the Azia/Osumoghu road were ambushed by some armed men.
It also said that two Police officers were killed in the attack and that their bodies were burnt while one of the officers is still missing.
According to the Police, the peddlers of this misinformation anchored their claims on the fact that they saw an Armoured Personnel Carrier passing through Azia/Osumoghu junction when the alleged incident happened.
“The rescue team on arrival at Azia/Osumoghu junction came under barrage of indiscriminate shooting with Improvised explosive devices thrown at their vehicles by the armed hoodlums which earlier attacked the police escort team.
“Police operatives repelled the attack and recovered two earlier stolen rifles belonging to the police; throughout the operation no innocent citizen talkless of children were sighted in the area.
“It is therefore a surprise to hear about the death of an innocent lady who may have been killed by the indiscriminate firing by the insurgents,” he stated.
Ikenga said that Mr Echeng Echeng, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra was saddened by the incident and extended his hearty condolences to the bereaved family.
Echeng assured that the Command in synergy with sister security forces and host communities would work to put an end to insecurity in that part of the State and ensure that such incidents do not reoccur.
