.No More Killed, Give Peace A Chance, They Plead
In the bid to restore normalcy, peace and order and build confidence in Abacheke Osiche Community in Egbema, Ohaji-Egbema LGA of Imo State, following the dastardly killing of five young men in the community on Friday, March 8, 2024, the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, CP Aboki Danjuma, and the Rt. Hon Goodluck Nanah Opiah, the immediate past Minister of State for Education, have taken steps to ensure that life resumes in the community and that the dastardly killing does not happen again and the perpetrators arrested and brought to book.
This is even as the former Minister of State for Education has pleaded with the people of Abacheke in general and the perpetrators of the killing in particular to give peace a chance so that development can come in and life turns out better for everyone.
The five young men killed by the gunmen have been identified by the locals as Bright Onyenwoke, Jeff Onyenwoke, Easy Odumodu Ejeke, Tochi Agwari, and Amutadi Okwuosa. Their bodies have since been deposited in the morgue.
The Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, led senior police officers and tens of other policemen on the spot assessment of the security situation and and also to meet with the community leaders on Monday, and said that under his watch, insecurity will not get a strong footing anywhere in Imo State.
The Commissioner was received in Abacheke by the former Minister of State for Education, the Rt. Hon Goodluck Nanah, at his country home, and led him on a visit to the crime scene, after which the CP and his team met with the Ezeala of Abacheke Osiche Community, Ezeala Sally Bright Ikeji, and his Ezeala-in-Council.
Narrating what happened in his community to the Commissioner of Police, the Ezeala said that the dastardly killing took the community by surprise and by the time they knew what was going on, five of their young men had been gunned down.
He noted that his community had been at peace but for the gruesome killing of the five young men, calling on the Commissioner of Police to help provide security to the community to forestall future occurrence and restore normalcy to the community.
Addressing the Ezeala-in-Coulcil, the Commissioner of Police sympathized with the community over the dastardly killing, noting that he had mobilized gallant police officers to the community to provide the needed security, ensure that life returns to the community and the perpetrators apprehended.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police addressed the press on the scene of the crime, urging the people to go about their normal legitimate duties without fear.
He assured that adequate security has been put in place to ensure that nobody is killed again in the community.
While condemning the killing, the CP assured that the killers will not go unpunished, adding that the long arm of the law will catch up with them and they will be brought to book.
He said: “Go about your legitimate duties without fear. Adequate security has been put in place here, and you are assured of your safety. It is inhuman to take another person’s life, and we cannot allow it to happen again. No, this will not happen again, and we will make sure that the killers are brought to book wherever they are.”
Also speaking, the Rt. Hon. Goodluck Nanah Opiah, while fielding questions from journalists condemned the killing, calling on everyone to give peace a chance and usher in development.
He noted that the Shared Prosperity Government of Governor Hope Uzodimma is bringing the gas free trade zone and industrial hub to their community, and they should not truncate such benevolent move by the governor with insecurity.
Noting that insecurity pays no one, Opiah thanked the Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and Governor Hope Uzodimma for their prompt response in making sure that life resumes and security is in place for the people to go about their normal daily activities.
He reiterated the call by the CP that the people should go about their normal business, adding that shop owners who had closed their shops should reopen them for business.
He reassured that the police deployed to the community is to protect them and not to harm them.
