Rivers-born Assistant Commissioner of Police burnt to death

Rivers State-born (ACP) Assistant Commissioner of Police, Oliver Inoma-Abbey from Bonny Local Government Area is one of the two police officers burnt to death during an onslaught on members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in Oraifite, Anambra State on Monday.

A clash between personnel of the Nigerian police and Members of IPOB resulted in the death of six persons.

Among the dead was Assistant Commissioner of Police, Inoma Abbey and a Sector Commander of Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.

Police had led a crackdown on IPOB gathering, killing four persons.

But the group retaliated and killed Abbey who led the crackdown on the group.

A statement by the command spokesman, Haruna Mohammed, confirmed the attack, saying the incident occurred on Monday when policemen were dispatched to arrest a suspected IPOB member.

But IPOB in a statement by its media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, said that the claims by the police are laden with lies and mistruths.

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“Nigerian Police through their Public Relations Officer one Haruna Mohammed in Anambra State have issued a self-incriminating statement laden with blatant lies, falsehood and deception.

“For the police to say there was a criminal complaint against Barrister Ejiofor bothering on assault and kidnapping four days after the funeral of his brother is most stupid and laughable. A criminal complaint from who? Who did he kidnap, the body of his dead brother?

“Who did he assault, Justice Binta Nyako? Where, when and how did he commit these crimes? The Nigeria Police never wrote to Barrister Ejiofor neither did they invite him to attend their station. This is a black lie.

“If they did, they should release the call log of the phone they claim they used in calling him. Does the Nigerian Police think the public is as daft as they are? The only reason for this unprovoked criminal invasion with deadly intent is to kill Barrister Ejiofor and to stop him from attending Federal High Court Abuja next month where he has all but defeated the Attorney General in the matter of Federal Government of Nigeria versus IPOB because Nigeria has no case against IPOB.

‘The same strategy of invading and kill doctrine they deployed in Isiama-Afaraukwu the home of our leader on 14 September 2017 a month before he is due in court is what played out in Oraifite yesterday.

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“The Nigeria Police claim two of their officers were killed by IPOB members but there were four dead bodies in the burnt-out police vehicle.

“What any investigative journalist worth his salt should ask is, who are the other two victims, where did they come from and what were they doing in a police van? Answers to these questions will reveal that Nigeria Police Command in Anambra State are unrepentant liars.

“The truth remains that Nigeria Police and Army went to the home of Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor with the sole purpose to kill him before next month’s court date as is now their tradition.

“On getting there they opened fire on unarmed civilians as usual and the two men that came out of the house were shot dead instantly. The police carried their dead and dying bodies into their van to conceal evidence and drove off. These are facts backed by evidence Anambra Police cannot deny.

“After killing two unarmed and innocent civilians, before they left the police doused Barrister Ejiofor’s home with petrol and set it on fire. This was the reality yesterday in Oraifite Anambra State. It was the carelessness of the police in handling the petrol they used to drench Barrister Ejiofor’s home and nearby businesses before setting them on fire that trailed back and led to the fire that gutted their van.

“It is on record that IPOB remains a peaceful movement, therefore, this latest desperate attempt by this lying Fulani controlled Nigeria Police to equate our activities with their home-grown Miyetti Allah (Fulani herdsmen) terrorist organisation is a waste of time”.