The Imo State Police Command says it is probing how a 10-year-old boy, Somtochukwu Ibeanusi, was allegedly killed by a stray bullet during Saturday’s demolition of a market in Owerri, Imo State.
The death of the Somtochukwu was caused widespread outrage against security forces who forcibly evicted traders from the market, and the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha,who ordered the demolition of the market.
The father of the deceased, Isaiah Ibeanusi, had accused soldiers from the 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze, of killing his son.
The state Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, told The Punch that a full investigation into the killing has commenced.
Ezike said the case file had been transferred from the Owerri Urban Police Division to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.
“The case file and all the exhibits have been transferred to the SCIID. The parents of the child have been invited to write further statements at the command.
“We will carry out an extensive investigation. A post-mortem would be conducted on the corpse. We are saddened by the development, but we would unravel the cause of the death.”
He said it was not true that the police was intimidating the boy’s family to forget the matter adding that death was not a trivial matter and the police respect the sanctity of human lives. Meanwhile, the leadership of 34 Artillery Brigade has denied the allegation that Somtochukwu was gunned down by soldiers.
However, the leadership of 34 Artillery Brigade has denied the allegation that Somtochukwu was shot by soldiers.
A statement by the brigade’s Public Relations officer, Captain Haruna Tarwai, said attributing the death of the boy to the soldiers was malicious and was intended to put the army in public disrepute.
He said soldiers were not actively involved in the demolition of the market.
“Soldiers, who were deployed in the scene, were stationed at the exit points of the market to prevent hoodlums from stealing goods and wares belonging to the traders.”
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