By Desire Emmanuel
The parents of a 17-year-old apprentice whose body was found in the compound of another person have told the men of the Anambra State Police Command that they are not interested in any case over the incident.
The state police command however insisted that the case must go on even if the parents were not interested.
It was gathered that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ikoye Orutugu, directed that the investigation to ascertain the true cause of death of the teenager, who was reportedly found lifeless in a compound at Umuzocha, Awka, should continue.
According to the command in a statement on Monday, October 20, preliminary information revealed that on October 5, around 10.55 a.m., it received a report from a resident that as he returned from a church vigil on same day she discovered the body of a young man in her compound.
Following the report, police operatives attached to the Central Police Station, Awka, were said to have visited the scene, took photographs, and conveyed the victim to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor on duty.
The command wrote: “Further investigation led to the identification of the deceased as Chikamso Ejiofor, aged 17 years, an apprentice. The parents of the deceased were subsequently traced and informed of the incident, but they voluntarily expressed their decision not to pursue the case further, citing their awareness of his alleged unruly behaviour. They have since sworn an affidavit and submitted a formal withdrawal letter to that effect.”
However, the Commissioner of Police, while acknowledging the family’s position, reiterated that the command has a statutory responsibility to investigate all unnatural deaths to ensure that justice and transparency are served.
He has therefore directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, to continue a thorough review of the incident to determine the actual cause of death.
