Police deny shooting 19-year-old student, indict NSCDC at panel

Leader of the Imo Joint Task Force codenamed: Search and Flush, Dan Iroakazi, yesterday, denied that the police shot a 19-year old student, Chigaemezu Ojinnaka in the state.

He told the Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violation by the disbanded Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and another unit of the Nigeria police that an officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) shot the victim.

Iroakazi, who now heads the Operations Unit of the Imo State Police Command, said the joint task force was at a different security operation, adding that Team 18, comprised the police and Team 39, as well as the NSCDC.

In a petition dated October 30, 2020, counsel for Ojinnaka had complained that a police officer shot his client in the leg, which ended the victim’s football career.

The petitioner, therefore, requested the panel to immediately investigate the matter and ensure that justice was done to end criminality and the use of force by police officers.

He lamented that his client who was a former team leader with Kwara United football club was preparing for a trial with a Ukrainian top professional club.

The panel said the allegations were that the police shot the complainant, and therefore, urged the police to prove that officers were not deployed to the area.

In the case marked: 2020/SARS/ABJ/160, the 11-man panel adjourned the hearing to November 26 for the continuation of cross-examination of all parties to prove their matter for justice to be served.

(Adopted from The Guardian)