The Police in Anambra State have detained eight mobile policemen serving at Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state for allegedly shooting a 17-year-old boy, Arinze Obigbo, in the abdomen during the Mgbe-Agbogho festival of Ogidi, weekend. The eight policemen, said to have been posted to Ugwunwasike roundabout, are cooling off at the Ogidi Divisional Police Station after one of them shot the boy and they were all arrested by police authorities in the Division.

This was disclosed to newsmen by the President-General of Ogidi town union, Chief Chuka- Jideofor Onubogu, who added “that the DPO in charge of Ogidi Police Division, Mr. Mark Ijarafu, played a fatherly role, and ordered the arrest and detention of the mobile policemen involved in the incident. “There is no justifiable reason to shoot a boy of that age, while they were celebrating the Mgbe-Agbogho festival to herald the arrival of the popular Nwafor Ogidi festival. “The eight policemen did not manage the situation well when the youths, with their masquerades, were in the roundabout celebrating and displaying youthful exuberance. “I was informed the Police started firing into the air to scare them and as they were running helter-skelter, Obigbo was being pursued by one of the policemen and he fell, the policeman shot him in the abdomen.

But on sensing danger, all the policemen ran away. “When the DPO got the information, he quickly took the boy to Mayor Hospital and from where he was transferred to Multicare Hospital. However, the boy is responding to treatment when he went to see him at the hospital.” When newsmen visited Multicare Hospital at Umunya Street Omagba Phase 2, the Medical Director, Dr. S. Ilochi, confirmed that the boy had a bullet wound, but that he is responding to treatment. The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of Ogidi Police Division, Mr. Mark Ijarafu, declined comment and referred Vanguard to the state Police Public Relations Officer. When Vanguard contacted the state’s Commissioner of Police, Garba Baba, on phone, when the PPRO could not be reached, he advised the Obigbo family to visit him in Awka, adding that he is presently in transit.

Vanguard