PRESS RELEASE:
23rd April, 2024.
The Abiriba Communal Improvement Union (ACIU), Aba Branch, the Umbrella body of ALL Abiriba indigenes resident in Aba - Enyimba City and the Entire Abiriba Community in Aba and the Globe are saddened by the unprovoked, senseless and brutal murder of their promising beloved son Mr. Emmanuel Michael Nwoke Okocha popularly known as Emma Noko who was gruesomely shot and killed in cold-blood by Five (5) team members of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) attached to the World Bank Police Station, MCC-Abayi, Aba, Abia State.
The fatal shooting and murder of Emma Noko by Policemen commissioned to serve and protect lives has remained a deep wound in the hearts of the peace loving Abiriba Community.
The Abiriba Communal Improvement Union (ACIU), Aba Branch have reined-in Abiriba Youths from taking laws into their hands and causing a total breakdown of law and public order in Aba and Umuahia. The ACIU continue to appeal to the Abiriba Community in Aba and Umuahia - The State Capital, to exercise restraint in the face of the provocation, pain, agony and sorrow inflicted on the Community by the Five (5) rogue officers of the Nigeria Police Force and reassure them that every necessary steps are in place to ensure that all those behind the gruesome and cold-blooded murder of the slain Mr. Emmanuel Michael Nwoke Okocha both directly and indirectly are brought to book and served the justice they deserved.
The ACIU Leadership can reliably confirm that the murderous Corporal Obaji Njok of the Nigeria Police Force who pulled the trigger has been transferred to Umuahia, detained and undergoing the statutory orderly room trial proceedings in line with the Nigeria Police Force procedure. The ACIU Leadership can further confirm that the remaining Four (4) members of the murderous team led by Inspector Simeon Ani who are complicit in the gruesome shooting and murder of our son have been apprehended by the Police and are still in detention in Aba.
The Abiriba Communal Improvement Union (ACIU), Aba Branch now demand as follows;
1. The immediate transfer of the remaining Four (4) members of the Police Team led by Inspector Simeon Ani who were accomplices to the shooting from their Station at World Bank Police Station, MCC-Abayi, Aba to Umuahia for their participation in the unprovoked and reckless shooting of an innocent and law abiding citizens and abandoning him to his fate and absconding from the scene without reporting to their superior officers on getting back to their station.
2. The Immediate arrest of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Nigeria Police Force, World Bank Police Station, MCC-Abayi for dispatching his men to constantly mount Road-Blocks to harrase, intimidate and extort Road-Users on gun-point.
3. The speedy and diligent prosecution of all those involved both directly and indirectly in the unprovoked shooting and death of Mr. Emmanuel Michael Nwoke Okocha and punishment melted out in accordance with the laws to serve as deterrent to all rogue elements in the Nigeria Police Force and other Security Agencies.
4. The reformation and sanitisation of the Police architecture in Aba for their notoriety in multiple illegal roads-blocks for the extortion of Road-Users under gun-point, Kidnapping with threat to waste you and nothing will happen until you are coerced to transfer money to them under gun-point by men and officers of the dreaded Rapid Response Squad (RRS), The periodic mass arrest and detention of innocent and law abiding citizens by men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force from Ndiegoro (Cameroun Barracks), World Bank Police Station, Ohuru Isimmiri Police Station, Eziama Police Station, Azuka Police Station and Central Police Station in their order of notoriety under and with trumped-up charges until money is squeezed out from the victims as bail, Involvement in civil matters such as marriage, rent, business and land ownership just to intimidate and extort money from the victims.
5. The forensic auditing of years of service of Policemen in Aba with a view to redeploying those due for redeployment.
6. Investigation to determine the extent of the complicity of the Senior Police Officers in the Office including the DPO's and Commanders in the illegal and unlawful activities of the rank and files in the field.
The investment friendly Governor, His Excellency Dr. Alex Chioma Otti should set-up a Citizen-Police Relation Office in Aba where people can report cases of Police brutality, extortion and intimidation. If the Police in Akwa Ibom State, Cross River State, Rivers State, Enugu State and Ebonyi State can be relatively civil and respectful in the treatment of the Citizens, Police in Abia especially Aba can be transformed through the intervention of the State Government and the Police High Command. Aba must be made less attractive to Rogue Elements in the Nigeria Police Force.
Finally, Late Mr. Emmanuel Michael Nwoke Okocha would not have died in vain if his gruesome and cold-blooded murder could be a wake-up call to curtail the excesses of the Police in Aba and avert the next agony.
Signed: Abiriba Communal Improvement Union, Aba Branch.
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