Tension In Anambra As Police, Union Group Clash As One Feared Dead

                                                                Crowd at the scene

                                                                      Late Felix Nwoke
There was confusion and tension in Onitsha yesterday in the commercial city of Anambra state following the allegedly killing of one Mr Felix Nwoke by police men believed to have come from Ogbaru police station of the state.

Late Nwoke , odogwublog.com gathered was an executive member of MTUN/OWAN and was fighting the rights of its members when he was allegedly shot by the police.
Members of the Motorcycle Transport Union of Nigeria (MTUN/AOWAN) accused the Nigerian police of killing their member for unjustified reason wondering why rather than police being their friend have resorted to killing them.
Anambra state Police Public Relations officer, Mr
James Ezeh confirmed the incident and said that investigations are
ongoing to unravel what led to the death of their member.

Ezeh could not confirm police has a hand in his death but said was sure the
police are there to protect lives and properties and not otherwise.
He further disclosed that the deceased is coincidentally from his own
town Ogbunka in Orumba south local government area of Anambra state.

He promised to ensure that those involved in his killing will be will be arrested within in a short time after comprehensive investigation.

But reacting to the development in an interview, Dr Jim Okonkwo, chairman
Board of Trustee, Motorcycle Transport Union of Nigeria (MTUN/OWAN)
accused the security operatives, especially the police, of killing one
of their executive members who according to him did not commit any
felony.

He explained, “I had a phone call that some police men in Anambra State are
battling our union members, molesting and extorting money from them.
They collected thirty thousand naira (30,000) to bail any of our
members were arrested. The thing became heavily embarrassing to our
union. We wrote to the commissioner of police about this ongoing crime
against our union members that has become a reoccurring decimal.

"After some weeks again, I had another call now that one of our executive
members Mr Felix Nwoke was shot dead at Okpoko in Onitsha by some
police men and those who call themselves security task force. When the
incident happened, the police men ran away with their vehicle while
the task force boys they came with abandoned their bus and ran away.
Some mobs wanted to take law into their hands and burn the vehicles
including police station but I called on them not to take laws into
their hands as the Union will make sure that the culprit will be
brought to book.

He however appeals to the inspector general of police and commissioner
of police to investigate the incident.
He further said, “Our union is registered with Cooperate Affairs
Commission (C AC).We are not robbers or kidnappers neither are touts
as some people tagged us.

Also speaking, the public relations officer of the union, Mr Uche
Anoliefo, condemned the killing of their member and appeal to the
commissioner of police Anambra state, Mr Hosea Hassan Karma to use his
good office to find out those behind the killing of their executive
member.

Earlier,  Barr. Lanre Ajetunmobi, legal adviser to the union wondered
why police should get involved in killing of the innocent souls. He
said, “It is so unfortunate. Before now, we wrote to the commissioner
of police Anambra state in respect to the activities of some his men
in operation in the state and some of their unethical attitude towards
my client being the union. On the 12th November 2014, I wrote a
petition to the commissioner which we titled 'Misdirection of Orders’
to flush out touts in Anambra state and in that petition; we made
reference to the subject before the commissioner who are the touts. We
even defined to him who the touts are. My clients are not touts.  I
have discussed with the commissioner and he promised that a full
investigation must be conducted in this matter and those involved in
it must be punished accordingly. We will pursue this incident using
all the legal means.
“Police should be protecting our life and property and not killing or
extorting the masses” he added.