On Friday, the Ebonyi State Police Command announced the arrest of four people in connection with the gruesome murder of a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain in the state, Peter Nweke.
Recall On March 18, 2023, the day of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections, Peter Nweke was tortured to death by hoodlums suspected of being All Progressives Congress, APC loyalists in the state.
The deceased, a PDP Ward Chairman, was killed in the Umuezeokaoha community of the state’s Ezza North Local Government Area while working as the party’s agent for the gubernatorial elections in the area.
Disclosing this in a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO of Ebonyi State Police Command, SP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, alleged that one of the suspects, Leonard Kelechi Nwali confessed to the crime.
The statement read, “On the 18th of March. 2023, during the Gubernatorial/State House of Assembly Elections, one Peter Nweke, ‘m’, the PDP Ward Chairman at Ezza North was killed by unknown gunmen. Sequel to the dastardly act, the Commissioner of Police, CP Faleye S. Olaleye, psc, tasked all Police Officers in the Command to fish out all those responsible for the killing. Consequently, on the 28/03/2023 four suspects were arrested in connection with the death of Mr Peter Nweke.
“During interrogation of the suspects, the first suspect one Leonard Kelechi Nwali ‘m’, a Labour Party House of Assembly aspirant, Ezza North Constituency, confessed to hiring the assailants who were meant to torture the late Peter Nweke. However, he died in the process. According to him, the late Peter Nweke posed a threat to his political ambition, so he contacted one Akwasi ‘m’ of Umuezeoka, in Ezza North L.G.A who spear-headed the touture that eventually resulted to the death of Mr. Peter Nweke ‘m’.
“The second suspect, Onyebuchi Chita ‘m’ of Nkomoro community, in the same local government area confessed to have brought in the killers from Nkomoro into Ogboji community, where Peter Nweke was killed.
“The third suspect Aloke Obinna ‘m’ of Ogboji community confessed to have given his motorcycle to one Onyebuchi Chita for escape after the incident.
“While Ifeanyi Nwokpuku ‘m’, the fourth suspect, of Ogboji community in Ezza North LGA conspired with one Sampson Nweke ‘m’, who pointed Peter Nweke out to the killers.”
“The Commissioner of Police Ebonyi State Police Command, assures members of the public that all the suspects arrested would be arraigned in court at the end of investigation. While those at large will be apprehended and brought to Justice. He also reiterated the command’s continuous commitment to safeguarding lives and properties of the good people of Ebonyi State and strongly sent out a warning to all criminals that there is no safe haven in Ebonyi State for them.”