In a chilling turn of events, the Imo State Police Command has arrested four suspects, including a serving police inspector, in connection with the brutal murder of Barrister Chinedu Nwowu. The legal community, particularly the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has expressed outrage over the killing, demanding an impartial and thorough investigation to ensure justice is served.
According to Sahara Reporters, which broke the news on its official X handle, the key suspect, Inspector Augustine Odidika, was apprehended last Thursday, just a day after the lawyer was assassinated in Mgbidi Town. Disturbingly, it has emerged that the slain lawyer had previously petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), raising concerns over threats to his life from Odidika. The petition, however, was yet to be acted upon before Nwowu met his tragic end.
Speaking to Sahara Reporters on Tuesday, Chairman of the NBA’s Owerri Branch, Chief Chris Ihentuge, disclosed that the police informed an NBA delegation about the arrests during a visit to Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, on Monday.
During the high-level meeting, the NBA leadership urged the police to ensure all those responsible for the heinous act are brought to justice. “We assured the police of the Bar’s full cooperation and support in their investigation,” Ihentuge stated.
The Imo State Police Command confirmed that the suspects, along with the case file, had been transferred from Mgbidi Police Division to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). The Deputy Commissioner of Police disclosed that among those arrested was a police inspector, who is also a kinsman of the deceased. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to apprehend a warrant officer serving in Enugu, who has also been implicated in the crime.
“The police chiefs assured the Bar that the investigation would be thorough and unbiased, emphasizing that the involvement of a serving officer would not obstruct the quest for justice,” Ihentuge added.
The shocking murder of Barrister Nwowu is the latest in a series of targeted attacks against lawyers in Imo State. Ihentuge revealed that within the last two years, more than four legal practitioners had been murdered under mysterious circumstances.
“In 2022, a chairman of a customary court was gunned down in court at Agwa, Oguta Local Government Area. In response, we boycotted court sittings and staged a protest march to the Commissioner of Police’s office. Now, another colleague has been murdered,” he lamented.
The NBA, both at the state and national levels, has vowed to monitor the case closely. NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe has reportedly been in constant communication with the Owerri Branch, seeking updates on the case.
When asked whether the NBA would provide financial support to aid the investigation, Ihentuge affirmed the association’s commitment.
“We normally assist investigations when necessary, even in cases involving non-lawyers. If financial constraints threaten to derail the probe, the NBA will step in to ensure justice is served,” he assured.
Regarding the motive behind Nwowu’s murder, the NBA branch chairman cautioned against speculation. He, however, acknowledged that the police inspector arrested in connection with the case had previously threatened the deceased’s life, as documented in the lawyer’s unaddressed petition to the AIG.
The rising trend of attacks on lawyers in Imo State raises alarming questions about the safety of legal practitioners. If those who uphold the law can be silenced so brutally, what does this mean for the justice system?
With national attention now focused on the case, all eyes are on the Imo State Police Command. Will justice be served, or will this become another unresolved killing? The coming days will be crucial in determining whether the Nigerian justice system can hold its own officers accountable—or if impunity will once again prevail.
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