24-year-old boy death: RULAAC cautions Imo State CP over alleged mass arrests of innocent residents

Victor Ojii

Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has cautioned the Commissioner of Police Imo State Police Command, to ensure the restoration of public order and guarantee the safety as well as liberty of members and residents of Umulogho community in Obowo Local Government Area, Imo State from alleged indiscriminate mass arrests, harassment and intimidation by police and military personnel.

According to the group Executive Director, Com.  Okechukwu Nwanguma, RULAAC received disturbing information about alleged ongoing indiscriminate mass arrests, harassment, and brutalization of people and residents of Umulogho Obowo community in Imo State on account of a protest by youths of the community over the alleged murder of youth of the community by a military officer in collusion with the management of a hotel where the victim was said to have been an auxiliary staff until he was murdered.

He noted that Chukwuebuka Nwaneri, a 24-year-old boy from Umulogho Obowo, Imo State was on Thursday, April 4, 2024, accused of stealing a cell phone belonging to a military officer who lodged at a hotel known as ‘Our Guesthouse’ located at Umulogho Obowo, Imo State where the boy was working until he was murdered.

“That upon being summoned and confronted with the allegation of stealing the phone, the boy denied knowing anything about the missing phone. That the owner of the hotel simply identified as Ibeh claimed he went to a native doctor with the boy and the native doctor confirmed that Chukwuebuka stole the phone.  That Chukwuebuka continued to deny the allegation of stealing the phone and he was consequently beaten and tortured in  a  bid to force him to confess, and was finally locked up in a small room where the hotel’s diesel generator is housed with heavy fumes emanating from the diesel engine.

“That the following day, the hotel management opened the generator room and found the boy dead, apparently from a combination of the torture inflicted on him and suffocation.  That Ibeh, the owner of the guest house contacted the military officer who arrived at the Guest house later and they took the deceased boy’s corpse and dumped it in a cassava farm near the guest house.  That days later- in the morning of Saturday 6th April 2024 the youths of the community who knew the boy discovered his corpse and identified him.

“That the angry youths of the village upon hearing what transpired took the decomposing dead body in a wheelbarrow to the guesthouse in protest during which they caused some damage to the guest house property; this prompted the hotel management to contact the army personnel again who mobilised police and military intervention. Since today Sunday, April 7th police and military operatives have been on the rampage indiscriminately arresting and brutalising youths in the community and the poor parents of the murdered boy identified as Mr. Udomba Nwaneri and Mrs. Rose Nwaneri are in fear as some of their family members are also among those either arrested or facing intimidation and the threat of arrest”, he stated.

The Human Rights Activist said that the RULAAC condemned the resort to self-help by the military officer and the hotel management who took laws into their own hands.

“After accusing the boy without evidence, they resorted to trial by ordeal and tortured him and locked him up in a small generator house with heavy fumes, instead of handing him over to the police for discrete investigation.  Trial by ordeal and torture are both crimes under Nigerian laws.

“RULAAC calls on the Commissioner of Police, Imo State to halt the ongoing indiscriminate mass arrests in Umulogho Obowo by police and army personnel.   All those illegally arrested should be released without delay. We also call for a prompt, impartial, and exhaustive investigation into the circumstances leading to the murder of Chukwuebuka Nwaneri.  If the military officer and the hotel management are found culpable, they should be charged and tried under the law.

“A message must be sent out loud and clear that every citizen must uphold the rule of law and be subject to same. Any deviation from, or violation of the due process and legally established procedures for treating any person accused of crimes has legal consequences.  We trust that the CP will treat these calls with urgency and professionalism”, he stressed.