The Ministry of Justice (Department of Public Prosecutions), Delta State, has started the process of prosecuting an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Louis Chike Nwabuwa, for alleged armed robbery, felony, arson, murder and other related offences.
The Justice Ministry in a letter to the Commissioner of Police in Delta State, and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, a copy seen by our correspondent yesterday, is requesting that the police authorities “take disciplinary measures against ACP Lois Chike Nwabuwa and thereafter make him available for prosecution.”
According to the letter, some of the charges that the serving ACP faces include: conspiracy to commit armed robbery, punishable under S. 1(2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearm Act 2004 (as amended); Armed Robbery, punishable under S, 1(2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearm Act 2004. Arson, punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap C2) Vol 1 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria, 2006.
Others include conspiracy to commit murder, punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code Law Cap C21 Volume 1 Law of the Delta State of Nigeria, 2006; and Murder, punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code Law Cap C21. Volume 1 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria. 2006.
Recall that on the 20th of December, 2022, five suspects – Godwin Asikawili alias Terror, NMDPRA officer Hyacinth Okeibunor Ohai alias high roller, Fidelis Nweke Odafe and Christopher Uche Odene were arraigned before the courts at Asaba for alleged conspiracy, arson, rape, malicious damage, assault, and murder and were remanded at the custodial centre in Ogwashi-Uku.
Other suspects are currently at large.
The case stemmed from a June 2021 incident where youths in the Ogwashi-uku Kingdom, allegedly sponsored by ACP Nwabuwa, attacked the Odogwu (warlord) of the community in a chieftaincy tussle.
In the process, three houses, livestock, a farm and two vehicles belonging to the Odogwu, Chief Gabriel Ohai, were set ablaze, while other properties were looted.
The incident was said to have left over 12 people with varying degrees of injuries and one person dead.
Narrating his ordeal, Ohai lamented the lawlessness and impunity on the part of the suspects.
“Immediately the police left, the hoodlums moved in their numbers into my house, pulled down my gate, and fence and move to my palace, set my house ablaze, stripped my wife, raped her, burnt down my two vehicles and moved to my farm, about 20 kilometres away from where I live, and set the building there ablaze,” he said.
When contacted for comment, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, said he could not confirm the report, saying the ACP did not serve in Delta and that the report was beyond the scope of Delta.
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