Slain Rivers painter’s family alleges cover up, three suspects arrested

By DENNIS NAKU

Five days after a 22-year-old painter was allegedly shot dead by a member of a local vigilante group in Umuebele, Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, his family has accused the police of working with the group to close the case.

The state police command, however, said it had arrested three persons in connection with the Chinemerem Orji’s murder last Saturday.

The spokesman for the command, Nnamdi Omoni, who disclosed this to our correspondent on Wednesday, said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department.

“Three persons have been arrested in connection with the incident and they are being interrogated at the SCID. Investigation is ongoing,” Omoni stated.

Chinemerem was allegedly killed by members of the Oyigbo Security Peace Advisory Committee, who were invited by a Point of Sale operator following an argument between him and the deceased, who demanded that a counterfeit N1,000 note given to him should be changed.

Chinemerem’s sister, Kelechi, told our correspondent that since the incident occurred, the vigilante group and the police had been trying to persuade the family from pursuing the case and seeking justice for her brother.

She said, “The OSPAC people are pleading with us not to pursue the case any further. The police too are doing the same thing. They are also pleading with us not to make it a public affair and that they have accepted everything and there is nothing to hide.

“But I don’t believe them. I want to really see that those people are at the State Criminal and Investigation Department first; then we can maybe allow them to handle it.

“For now, we have not seen my brother and I have not seen the guy, who stabbed him and the guy, who shot him. Everything is just hidden for now.”

Meanwhile, an official of the OSPAC in the area told our correspondent that the operatives involved in the matter had been handed over to the police. (  The PUNCH)