Anambra community denies involvement in killing of youth

Enugwu Nanka Community in Orumba North Council of Anambra State, yesterday, distanced itself from the alleged killing of one 25-year old Tochukwu Onyemelukwe by some persons.

In a statement issued in Awka, the state capital, Secretary General of Enugu Nanka Community Development Union, Godson Oforkansi, said they are using this opportunity to inform the public that members of the town do not know about the murder, neither were they involved in the killing and burial of Tochukwu Onyemelukwe.

Oforkansi said members of the community were not happy over the incident and expressed concern that such murder was committed in their domain.

“Tochukwu allegedly stole Indomie worth N1000. He lived in Lagos and just visited home. We want to inform the state government that our community is not involved his murder on November 30, 2021 and his burial on December 8, 2021 in his fathers’ compound, Enugwu Nanka.

“Leaders of the community heard that his corpse, which was deposited at Chioma Maternity Mortuary, Nanka was removed and buried without clearance from the police.

“Executive of the town union met Tochukwus’ father, who said he was not happy over his son’s death, but appealed that we should exercise patience and promised to come and see us, but we have not seen or heard from him,” Oforkansi said.

Confirming Oforkansis’ statement, counsel for Enugwu Nanka Community, Michael Onwuetiaka, said he received a call from his clients that hoodlums killed Tochukwu in the town.

He said his clients claimed that the hoodlums alleged that Tochukwu stole Indomie valued at N1000, later arrested and murdered him, before they smuggled his corpse into the mortuary.

“The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Oko Police Station informed me that the mortuary attendant was ordered not to release the corpse since the hoodlums planned to bury the deceased secretly.

“The person who deposited the corpse was invited, but he failed to show up. We are worried why the police have not made any arrests. The mortuary attendant has not been arrested. I can’t imagine why somebody who stole something worth N1000 should be killed,” he said.

He expressed concern about the safety of the complainants, wondering what the police could do if a mortuary attendant disobeyed their order.

When contacted, Spokesman of the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga said he was not aware of the case, adding that it had not received report of such an incident.