By Pascal Ibe
The family of Late Levi Opara, aged 46, from Ezedibia, Emekuku in Owerri North Council Area of Imo state, on Monday continued to cry out to the Federal Government, Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, to prosecute the arrested police officers suspected to be involved in the alleged murder of their father (Levi).
In a press conference in Owerri on Monday, one of the daughters, of the deceased, Iheoma Opara, who spoke on behalf of her siblings, said the delay to prosecute the suspected officers was to avert justice.
She said: “All we want now is the Federal government, Inspector Generator of Police and Governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodimma, to intervene in the matter and bring justice to us. We are afraid that those blocking the prosecution of the officers involved want to bury the matter.”
Narrating how the incident happened the daughter claimed that their late father, was arrested “On Sunday, October 15, 2023, and when they got the information of the arrest, we quickly rushed to the police the next day with our family relatives, where we met our father hale and hearty. But all efforts to secure his release to enable us to resolve the family issue failed as we were asked to come back on Wednesday, October 18, 2023.
“When we came back on Wednesday, we were shocked when the IPO and team leader notified us that my father who was never sick or suffering from any form of illness the day he was arrested was dead. On further inquiries, both the IPO and team leader informed us that he was at the police clinic but later changed and said his body had already been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre.
“On arrival at the said Federal Medical Centre, we saw the lifeless body of our father, and on a closer observation, discovered that my father’s body had several bruises as well as knife cuts on his neck which were hurriedly stitched either before or after his death.
“I want to also say this an autopsy was conducted and the result showed that our father was tortured and starved to death.” However, she added that the father had been buried.
DPP directed police to release officers who allegedly killed Levi Opara —Zone 9 spokesperson.
Speaking to our correspondent, the spokesperson for Zone 9 police command, Umuahia, DSP Bruno Iheanetu said the matter was transferred to them from Imo State police command after the family members of the late Levi Opara petitioned the IGP, for the matter to be transferred to Zone 9, Umuahia to ensure thorough investigation.
Bruno said after investigation by Zone 9 Umuahia, a report was sent back to the Inspector General of Police (IGP). The IGP went through the investigation report from Zone 9 on the issue, IG Egbetekun then directed that the matter be taken to the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).
He explained that erring police officers are at first dismissed before they can be charged to court. Noting that when the disciplinary action on the two officers(Inspector and ASP) who allegedly murdered Mr Levi Opara was ongoing when the Directorate of Public Prosecution(DPP) directed that an autopsy be reconducted on the remains of late Levi Opara. The DPP equally directed the police to halt the ongoing disciplinary action against the two officers.
According to the Zone 9 command spokesperson, Bruno stated that the DPP asked the police to grant bail to the officers who allegedly Killed Levi Opara.
He disclosed that the police have since enforced the directives by the DPP on their men by releasing them.
When asked if there are fresh complaints from late Mr Levi Opara’s family members over the matter to Zone 9 Umuahia, Bruno said did not know, since the matter was handed over to the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) on the IGP’s directive. He noted that the matter is longer in their hands as it’s fir the DPP to decide.
