Abia Community, Family of Slain Youth Leader Demand Justice

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

The people of Umuelegwa Onicha community have cried out over the disruption of their normal life by police investigators from Zone 9 headquarters Umuahia who allegedly adopted selective investigation of a double crime of murder and arson that occurred in the community on December 28, 2021.

A Youth Leader, Mr. Henry Ubanna Iroegbu, who was a fresh graduate of Agricultural Engineering, was allegedly shot dead by an Aba based Businessman, Mr. Michael Ugorji Aguwa, at his country home in Umueleagwa Onicha, Ezinihite Mbaise Local Government of Imo State, following a family dispute involving the sister of the deceased.

The killing of the young graduate from neighbouring Umuoma Onicha Nworie communuy in cold blood was said to have sparked angry reactions from youths who went on rampage and burnt the house of the alleged killer.

The community is also agitated that a couple, Mr. Uchechi Aguwa, and his wife, Chinyere, said to be principal witnesses to the fatal shooting, have been languishing in detention in Zone 9 for over two weeks now while the man who allegedly fired the fatal gunshot is still enjoying his freedom.

But in a petition addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), in charge of Zone 9, the community and the family of the deceased expressed alarm that the police were shielding the murder suspect and hunting the witnesses and turning them into suspects.

In the petition written by their counsel, Duruoha & Associates, the complainants urged the AIG to change the investigating team, adding that selective investigation of arson to the neglect of the root cause which was the killing of the youth, would turn justice on its head.

“It is strange that up till date they (police investigators) have not found the need to arrest the murder suspect and have also not confiscated the gun used in killing the young man.

“It is also appalling that rather than treating Mr. Aguwa as a murder suspect, the investigators are intimidating our clients and their witnesses and this is making it impossible for the witnesses to come forth and help the police,” the petition read.

But the Zone 9 Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Kingsley Iredibia, told THISDAY that though he was yet to be formally briefed on the matter, “it is not possible” for the investigators to be hobnobbing with the murder suspect as alleged in the petition.

According to him, the police adopted a protocol in their investigations, examine the matter thoroughly in order to determine the exact cause of a particular incident, adding that investigations were still ongoing in the case.

Already the kinsmen of the murdered youth leader have become agitated at the way the police are handling the matter with community leaders barely restraining the aggrieved youths from reprisal attacks.

The President General of Onicha Nworie Autonomous Community, Mr. Martin Chimodo, told THISDAY that the community “is surprised” at the turn of events because they were expecting justice but the police were acting in a way to suggest otherwise.

Chimodo said that he has led a delegation to the Zone 9 headquarters “to tell the police what actually happened” with the hope that they would conduct proper investigation, stop intimidating innocent people and above all ensure that the killer of Henry Iroegbu would be prosecuted and justice served.