Anambra State Police Command has denied social media allegations that it arrested and tortured an armed robbery suspect to death in Awka, early this week.
There had been allegations that operatives attached to ‘B’ Division police station in Awka, picked up a suspect, Chukwubuike, after he was arrested by members of a neighbourhood along secretariat road, Awka, and tortured him until he gave up the ghost.
But the command on Sunday morning, debunked the claims, saying the information was misleading, and outright falsehood.
In a press release by the state police command’s spokesperson, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, the command said it was true that it picked up the suspect, but added that the mob had already tortured him when the operatives rescued him, and that shortly after his rescue, the suspect collapsed and was rushed to a hospital, where he was certified dead.
Ikenga in the release said: “To set the records straight, on 28/3/2023 by 10:35 pm, Police Operatives responded to a distress call along Secretariat road, Awka, and 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. He collapsed after being rescued by the police, and was immediately rushed to the hospital and was later confirmed dead by a Medical doctor.”
Ikenga said investigation into the matter had commenced, and that police was trying to use a video footage of the suspect’s arrest by an angry mob, to fish out those responsible for his torture.
He also quoted the commissioner of Police, CP Echeng Echeng as vowing to henceforth, prosecute social media users who spread falsehood, using their pages, while also calling on people to always hand suspected criminals to the police for appropriate investigation and sanctions, instead of taking the laws into their hands.
