The Ogbaku Youths under the auspices of the Ogbaku Youths Association have condemned in its entirety senseless shooting of her unarmed indigenes by men in Nigerian Police uniform.
In a release jointly signed by Hon Chima Umejuru and Hon Justice Chukwuemeka Nwafor( Chairman and Secretary respectively) issued at the end of an emergency meeting, the body held on 28th August, 2022, the Association urged the
Inspector-General of Police and the Imo State Commissioner of Police to immediately commence investigations into the shootings in Ogbuke village, Ogbaku, on 27th August, 2022, by 7pm, during which a youth, a motorcyclist, Peter Akanaedozi was killed and another motorcyclist Kelechi Oduoza sustaining severe injuries for no just cause.
Speaking at the forum, the Chairman of the Association, Hon Chima Umejuru described as senseless the act of using live bullets on human beings at Ogbuke Ogbaku,a densely populated area along Ogbaku-Oguta road in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo state.
Hon Umejuru insisted that the shooting was uncalled for and unprovoked except that the heavily armed Policemen who were already blood thirsty as they were apparently returning from a shooting spree from Izombe on that fateful day.
The Youth leader insisted that any reasons adduced by the Police for their acts are untenable, disheartening and irresponsible and appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba and Imo State Police Commissioner, Mohammed Ahmed Barde to cause an immediate probe into the Ogbaku Thursday evening shooting spree.
He disclosed that presently the community is in fear due to that reign of terror on the innocent villagers who are now in agony and counting the losses as a result of that infamous shooting.
In his words, “While it is against the Police rule of engagement the world over for officers to unleash terror on innocent citizens, our laws including the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria forbids one from taking innocent lives. We beckon on you – the IGP and Imo CP therefore, to use your good offices to dispense justice in respect of the Ogbaku Thursday evening shooting spree and killing, and bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to book,”
Narrating how the deceased died, the brother of late Peter Akanaedozi, Mr Johnpaul Akanaedozi said, “the 42-year-old motorcyclist from Umugama, Okwu Ogbaku, was until his death, the coordinator of the Charismatic Renewal Group at St. Charles Catholic Parish Okwu, He was shot at Ogbuke that fateful evening while on his bike. He died in my arms, on our way to the hospital.”
Going further, he said, the other victim, Kelechi Oduoza, a motorcyclist and native of Umuokwere, Okwu Ogbaku, was also shot while on his motorcycle at Ogbuke and currently receiving treatment for multiple bullet injuries at Kenechukwu hospital, Uzele Ogbaku.
