25/08/2017

Police Dismiss Officer for Escape of Rivers Ritual Killing Suspect, Arraign Him for Conspiracy



Police Arrest Islamic Teacher for Torturing Student in Kano StatePoliceman on duty. Image: Pilot News Africa
The Rivers State Police Command has dismissed a police sergeant, Johnbosco Okoroeze, for allegedly aiding the escape of a suspected ritual killer, Ifeanyi Dike.
Dike, a student of the University of Port Harcourt was arrested for killing an eight-year-old girl and removing some of her body parts including her eyes and vagina.

He was arrested while trying to dispose of the body of the girl by a  local vigilante and handed over to the police.
Okoroeze, was also arraigned by the police before a chief magistrate’s court on two counts bordering on obstruction of justice and conspiracy, 
The police sergeant cried uncontrollably in the court and was cautioned by the Chief Magistrate, Sokari Andrew-Jaja.
Okoroeze, who was the Investigating Police Officer, had removed the suspect’s handcuffs while he took his statements.
The victim’s father, Ernest Nmezuwuba, who was also in the charge room at the time, had said he used candlelight while making his statements, adding that there was no power supply in the area.
The suspect was reported to have fled the police station under the cover of darkness. He is yet to be rearrested.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ahmed Zaki, had ordered the dismissal and arraignment of Okoroeze for criminal conspiracy.
“What have I done to myself? What did I do? Call my wife for me,” Okoroeze said.
The charges against him read: “That you, Johnbosco Okoroeze, on August 19, 2017, at about 8.30pm at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Port Harcourt, in the Port Harcourt Magisterial District, did assist one Ifeanyi Dike, who is to your knowledge guilty of the offence of murder of one Chikamso Nmezuwuba, aged eight years, for rituals, to escape when he was to be detained for prosecution, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 322 of the Criminal Code Cap 37, Vol. II, Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria, 1999.
“That you, Johnbosco Okoroeze, on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid magisterial district, did conspire with a suspect, Ifeanyi Dike, and allowed him to escape from prosecution to prevent and defeat the course of justice, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 126 (1) of the Criminal Code Cap 37, Vol. II, Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria 1999.”
The chief magistrate observed that while the first charge could earn Okoroeze a life sentence if found guilty, the second charge could earn the dismissed police sergeant a seven-year jail term if found guilty.
However, he declined jurisdiction of the court to handle the matter, directed the court registrar to transfer the case file to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.
The chief magistrate then remanded the suspect in prison, just as he adjourned the matter till September 14, 2017, for the adoption of written addresses.
Meanwhile, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Nnamdi Omoni, said one of the sponsors of the prime suspect, Dike, had been arrested.
“Yes, we have arrested one of the sponsors, but we will not disclose his name now so that it will not jeopardise the investigation.
“Efforts have been intensified to re-arrest the fleeing suspected ritual killer and we are assuring members of the public that we will get him.”

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