There
was mild drama on Sunday when a delegation of police officers led by
the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Charge of Zone 2, Mr.
Mamman Tsafe, visited the Gbagada family home of Ugochukwu Ozuah, the
man who was killed five days after his wedding.
The meeting between Ozuah’s family and
Tsafe, allegedly at the instance of the police, took a dramatic turn
when Ozuah’s family members realised that the team had only come to pay
their respects and not to reveal the outcome of their investigation.
Ugochukwu died last September after he
was shot by unidentified policemen. The family had alleged that
policemen attached to the Anthony Division were responsible for the
killing.
About a week after Ugochukwu’s death, a
team of 12 policemen arrived Lagos from the Force Criminal Investigation
Department, Abuja to take over the case.
However on Sunday, the family’s hope to
finally close the chapter on the death of its member was dashed as the
AIG was not forthcoming on identity of the suspected killers.
Instead, Tsafe gave a lecture on the commitment of the police to fish out the killers.
He said, “We have come to condole with
your family over Ozuah’s death and we want to assure you that we are
totally committed to unraveling the truth.
“The Inspector-General of police does
not intend to hide anything. That is why he constituted a team that
would head the investigation. Investigation is not yet complete; just
bear with us.”
There was visible disappointment and anger on the faces of Ozuah’s siblings and relatives who were present.
The eldest sister of the deceased, Mrs.
Nkechi Nnoyelum, who spoke on behalf of the family, criticised the
timing and purpose of the meeting.
She said, “While I thank you for this
visit, I am a bit disappointed that this condolence visit is coming five
months after Ozuah’s death. We have been kept in the dark all this time
regarding the police investigation and no one from the police command
deemed it fit to place a phone call to my mother. Instead, we were the
ones pursuing the police.
“We expected you would be talking about
the arrests the police made last November in respect of the case and
what is happening to those who are in police custody. Instead, you are
reopening old wounds that we are trying to heal. It is only the truth
that can help the grieving process.”
In November 2012,
reported the arrest of five policemen attached to the Anthony division.
The policemen were reportedly taken to the Nigeria Police Force
headquarters Abuja for interrogation.
Although Tsafe reiterated the commitment
of the IG to the speedy conclusion of the case, he evaded questions and
did not state specifically anything pertaining to the investigation.
When one of Ugochukwu’s sisters walked out of the meeting, his
(Ugochukwu’s) uncles stepped in and tried to calm frayed nerves
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