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The Edda clan, in the Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has sought the transfer of the suspected killers of a police inspector, two youths, and a seven-month-old pregnant woman, to the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
This is as the community alleged that the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state, Cletus Ofoke, was making moves to set the killers free.
The Convener of Edda Identity, a socio-cultural organisation in the Afikpo South council, Julius Oji (aka Ochiri Edda), stated this in a statement on Wednesday.
He said, ‘There is a grand plot and arrangement by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Ebonyi State, Cletus Ofoke, acting on the orders of the Ebonyi State Government, to move the case file of these suspects and killers from the police and court authorities in the state, in a bid to release the suspects without trial.
‘We, the people of Edda, reject this move and we call on the Inspector-General of Police, Amnesty International, the National Security Adviser, and the Ministry of Interior to intervene.’
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‘We, the people frown at the unpopular and unacceptable move by the Ebonyi State Government to release these suspects from police custody without trial and proper arraignment in a competent court of law.
‘Their idea is to release these criminals before the elections for them to continue their killing sprees and we, the people of Edda, reject this move, because it’s against our peace and collective existence as a people. We, therefore, demand the transfer of this matter and the case of these suspects to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, for proper trial and adjudication.’
The Eastern Updates recall that a police inspector, Festus Akpan, two youths and a pregnant woman were killed between December 26, 2022, and January 1, 2023, in the community by suspected hoodlums.
When contacted by reporters, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Ofoke, described the accusation as a rumour, adding that all those involved in the killings would face the law.
