BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Anambra State Police Command has denied the allegations that it arrested and tortured a man identified as Chibuike Okafor, to death in Awka.
There had been trending allegations on social media that operatives serving at the ‘B’ Division police station in Awka, tortured Okafor also known as Jokef to death and labeled him an armed robber over an “undisclosed” issue.
But the command in a press statement by its spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga, on Sunday, debunked the allegations, saying he was rescued from a mob attack by the police.
Ikenga added that the mob had already tortured him before the police operatives rescued him and that shortly after his rescue, the suspect collapsed and was rushed to a hospital, where he was certified dead by a medical doctor.
The statement read, “The attention of Anambra State Police Command has been drawn to trending news on social media platforms alleging officers serving in the ‘B’ Divisional Headquarters, tortured a man to death and labelled him an armed robber over an undisclosed issue.
“The Command went into investigations on these allegations and discovered that it is not true, but malicious, a product of fiction.
“To set the records straight, on 28/3/2023 by 10:35 pm, Police operatives responded to a distress call along Secretariat Road, Awka rescued a suspect from an angry mob and recovered a locally made gun with one expended cartridge allegedly used in robbing his victims.
“The suspect was later identified as Mr. Chibuike Christian Okafor popularly known as Jokef, collapsed after being rescued by the police, and was immediately rushed to the hospital and was later confirmed dead by a medical doctor.
“Meanwhile, the investigation is still ongoing as the Command is still studying the video footage of the mob action to identify the persons behind this act.
“The Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng, has reiterated the campaign against mob action and encouraged the public to take suspects to police stations whenever they are apprehended, this will help the Police to conduct proper investigations into the activities of the suspects and bring them to justice under extant laws.
“Henceforth, the Command shall invoke relevant sections of the cybercrime act against any happy trigger writer/social media influencer whose aim is to publish falsehood and cause disharmony in the state.”
