By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old man, identified as Pascal Ogbogu, for allegedly murdering his 56-year-old father with a machete in Abatete, Idemili North Local Government Area of the State.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen on Wednesday, saying the arrest was made possible through the combined efforts of Police operatives, family members, local vigilante personnel and members of the Abatete community.
According to the Police spokesman, preliminary information revealed that the suspect allegedly attacked his father on the evening of August 25 and fled the scene immediately after the incident.
Ikenga said Police operatives attached to the Eziowelle Police Division mobilised to the area following a distress report, with assistance from family members and operatives of the Abatete Vigilante group.
“On getting to the scene, the operatives found the lifeless body of the deceased lying in a pool of blood, with a deep machete wound to the throat,” the Police spokesman stated.
According to him, the corpse was subsequently evacuated to a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
The Police spokesperson further disclosed that the suspect was apprehended in the early hours of August 26 after fleeing the community, following what he described as coordinated efforts by the Police and members of the Abatete Vigilante.
He said timely information and cooperation from members of the community also played a crucial role in tracking and locating the suspect.
The Commissioner of Police in the State, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, according to the statement, commended the family members, community members, Police operatives and Vigilante personnel whose prompt response and cooperation led to the suspect’s arrest.
The CP noted that effective community participation, timely intelligence sharing and sustained partnership between the Police and local communities remain critical to successful policing and the protection of lives and property.
While commiserating with the family of the deceased, CP Ama directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation and a comprehensive review to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and all other relevant facts.
The Commissioner, according to SP Ikenga, assured both the family and members of the public that the investigation would be handled professionally, thoroughly and diligently in accordance with the law, adding that the suspect would face due process at the conclusion of the investigation.
