Lynching of policeman in Onitsha: 14 suspects arrested

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

ONITSHA—No fewer than 14 persons have been arrested by the police in Onitsha, Anambra State in connection with last Thursday’s lynching of a policeman  in the commercial city.

Irate mob had lynched one of the four policemen posted to Dangote’s new depot in the area, believing that they were responsible for the fatal accident that killed a pregnant woman and her two children at their checkpoint.

According to the source, a lorry had developed brake fault and rammed into a commercial vehicle which cause the death of the pregnant woman and two other passengers on Thursday afternoon but passers-by claimed the accident was caused as a result of police extortion on the highway.

The source hinted that one of the policemen was lynched by the irate mob which also tore his uniform into shreds before taking away his service riffle, while three of his colleagues managed to escape by whiskers. But a police reinforced team swung into action shortly after the incident and arrested 14 suspected mob.

Confirming the arrest yesterday, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO at Central Police Station, CPS, Onitsha, Ikechukwu Egbochukwu, a superintendent of police, said the issue of extortion by the policemen at the highway was far from the truth.

He explained that the four policemen were posted to the newly acquired Dangote cement depot along the Owerri road, Onitsha, the scene of the incident and while they were in their duty post, a lorry driver lost control of his vehicle as a result of the brake failure, rammed into a commercial vehicle and killed a woman and some passengers.

 

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