By Onwukwe Ezeru, Abia
Crisis is brewing at Amaekpu Ohafia, as a 70-year-old man, Chief Kalu Nnoke Okowu, popularly called Crossca, who was allegedly beaten by Nigeria police men attached to Ohafia Division has been confirmed dead. Already, the youths of Amaekpu Ohafia are said to be threatening to revenge.
Okowu youths are angry with the police in the area for allegedly
killing the old man in the process of arresting him over an
alleged shooting of a fellow hunter while they were hunting in the bush.
Meanwhile, the intervention of the military from the Goodluck Jonathan barracks in Ohafia was said to have temporarily saved the situation as they came and deuced the highly tensed community which was at the verge of exploding into a violence.
A source, who spoke about the incident in Ohafia, disclosed
that “until his violent death in the hands of the policemen, Okowu was a jovial, caring and peace-loving
man, who was never known for trouble in the community.”
According to the source, some months back, Crossca who was the Chairman of Ohafia Hunters Association, a registered group with the Ohafia Local Government Area of the state, went on a hunting expedition with some of his colleagues “when accidental discharge occurred.”
The ugly situation led to the some pellets hitting one of them known as Agwu Kalu Oba alias Aliko on one of his legs, “Aliko was quickly taken to Ebem Hospital where he was treated and later discharged and he is recuperating at his home”.
The source further explained: “Aliko was alleged to have gone to arrest some of the hunters who were with him when the shooting took place with the help of some policemen”.
“He [Aliko] with the police arrested his elder brother, Akuma Kalu Oba and one Julius and in the process of trying to arrest Crossca broke his door and started heating him with guns and in the process he collapsed.
“All efforts by doctors to revive him failed and he was taken to a nearby hospital where he was confirmed dead on arrival by the medical team at the hospital”.
Following the death of Okowu allegedly in the hands of the police over alleged beating by them the youths of the area gathered to descend on the police office in the area, when the military were alerted who came to the rescue the situation.
Meanwhile, the traditional ruler of Amaekpu Ohafia, Prof. Emea Okwara Arua, has appealed for calm among the people, assuring that the perpetrators of the dastardly act will be prosecuted according to the laws of the country.
However the wife of the deceased, Madam Kalu Nnoke, has urged government to ensure that justice is served on those found culpable, as a way of assuaging the spirit of her late husband who was allegedly murdered by the police.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the state
command, Ogbonnaya Nta, referred the reporter to the Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, who replied through a text message, “That is not correct, get the true picture of the incident from the DC, SCID”.
