5 PERSONS IN POLICE NET OVER ATTACK ON POLICEMEN AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN EBONYI
Police in Ebonyi State have arrested five suspects in connection with an attack on government officials and police in Akpe Amachi community in Abakaliki Local Government Area of the state.
The government officials and the police had gone to rescue a man accused of fetish practices and witchcraft when they were ambushed.
The Coordinator of Amachi Development Centre, Mr. Obinna Nwiboko, was also inflicted with machete cuts in the attack, which was allegedly carried out by the youths of the community.
Investigations reveal that the youths of Akpe Amachi in Abakaliki Local Government Area first attacked one Barnabas Okpebe and set his property ablaze for harboring a native doctor, who was allegedly preparing charms for him.
After torturing Barnabas for hours, the youths arrested the native doctor, who came from nearby community and dragged him to an unknown destination where he was allegedly killed.
A member of the community, who pleaded anonymity, explained that Barnabas was later dragged to the village square where he was assaulted and was being led into the bush where he would be killed when the Coordinator and other government officials intervened.
The Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Internal Security and Commissioner designate, Dr. Kenneth Ugbala, described the incident as unfortunate but noted that his office had not received report of any killing during the incident.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Ebonyi State, Mrs. Lovett Odah, explained that the youth opened fire on operatives of Anti-Kidnapping Squad, who were deployed to the community to restore normalcy.
According to her, the coordinator was knocked down with clubs and machete before police arrived in the scene to launch rescue operation.
The PPRO stated that on realizing that they had lost the man suspected to be practicing witchcraft as well as the coordinator, the angry youths unleashed attack on a police station in the area and carted away uniforms and a motorcycle of officer on duty.
Mrs. Odah said Commissioner of Police in the state had visited the area but claimed she had no knowledge of abductions and killing by the youths.
AMECHI ODO