Police Inspector Usman Shaibu Killed in Ogidi: Police on mass arrests in Ogidi, as SARS on rampage

www.odogwublog.com reports that hell was let loose at the weekend in various part of Ogidi and Nkpor urban communities in Idemili North local Government Area of Anambra state as men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS embarked on mass arrests apparently in search of the two dare-devil bandits who allegedly shot and killed a police officer, Usman Shaibu.

Shaibu, an Inspector of Police attached to Operations (OPS) Department, State headquaters, Awka, was allegedly mowed down by the two yet to be identified armed robbers operating on a motorcycle on Saturday afternoon while he was carrying out his stop-and-search duty in his duty post at Ugwunwasike round-about, Ogidi.

An eye-witness stated that for several hours on that fateful Saturday evening, the SARS operatives mounted a patrol van at Nkpor junction and other strategic places, shooting sporadically on air and embarked on indiscriminate arrests of passersby, a situation which forced petty traders, bread and fruits sellers to hurriedly pack their goods and run home, until the ever busy Nkpor Junction was deserted. 

As at the time of filing this report, it as not yet certain how many persons that were arrested in connection with the incident and whether the killers had been fished out from among those apprehended during the mass arrests.

The robbers had taken the policeman unaware as they rode straight to him at the checkpoint where he and his colleagues were focusing on flagging down of vehicles for a stop and search of commuters and allegedly shot him at a close range.

It was gathered that after watching his corpse lying stone dead, the robbers allegedly collected his AK47 riffle and zoomed off, while other policemen who were with him escaped to take cover on hearing the sound of the robbers' gun.

The incident which occurred within a minute, caused pandemonium as road users and commuter at once alighted from their vehicles and scampered for safety.

Reacting to the incident, an eye-witness, Barr Pat Agbata, a legal practitioner based at Ogidi, described the incident as unfortunate, adding that the slain officer had died in active service which warranted that the family should be adequately compensated by the police authorities.

According to Agbata, "The Police authorities should intensify investigations with a view to arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act who carried out their nefarious activities in a commando style".

"What offence has he committed to be killed like a fowl. Despite the effort of Governor Willie Obiano to  rid the state of men of underworld you still have them killing innocent people" he stated.

Contacted, the Ogidi Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Mr Hassan Musa,confirmed the incident adding that the late Inspector was attached to Operations, (OPS) State Headquarters, Awka.

According to him "the corpse has been deposited at Mission Hospital mortuary, Iyi-En, Ogidi, while investigations were ongoing".