The community of Ugwueke in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, has been gripped with fear and outrage, following the fatal shooting of 35-year-old Anyim Elijah Obinna and two others by a trigger-happy policeman on April 20, 2025.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with the former Minority Leader of the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Chijioke Chukwu, calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the officer responsible for the crime.
The father of the deceased, Mr. Paul Anyim, who narrated the incident, stressed that the killer fled after his friend and another person threatened to expose him.
“We went home on Easter holidays and my son came back on Saturday at about half past two p.m. So on Sunday, exactly quarter after six, he left my house with his younger brother after dinner for a birthday party of one of their friends at Grand Star Hotel in Ugwueke.
“After about 10 minutes past 10pm, I heard a voice, that the General’s son have been shot down. Then I turned, my wife asked me to sit down. So I said, no, am I not the General?
“I asked the people and they said my son has been shot down. They didn’t allow me to come out from the room. Later at last, we find out that the young man is dead.
“Since two of them were out, I didn’t actually know the particular one that they shot. Then a friend, one Samuel Anyim, came to my house and told me that George Anyim is alive and that my first son, Elijah Anyim was shot.
“That is how I came to know the story. Then around half past one, my younger brother, Dr. Chukwu Agu, a lecturer in UNN, came and picked me to the hospital. Then reaching there, I found out that he was already dead.
“Then on Monday morning, being 21st of April, we went to police station at Igbere to report the incident. Then we later came to state CID, where they asked us to return to Igbere Police station that they would bring the case.
“We, drove straight to the hospital where I asked them to put the young man in the mortuary. So, later on Tuesday, we reported to the DSS and gave them the details of all that happened, they carried out their investigations.
“One of the workers at the Hotel where the party wss held, told me that when the Police officer shot my son and his friend, the person in his car threatened to expose him and he also shot him. My son and the officer’s friend died at the spot while the third person survived the gunshot.”

“When asked about the identity of the killer, Mr Anyim said, he is a policeman, identified as Ferdinand Njoku and called on the Abia State Police Command to do the needful.
“The Police officer came to Ugwueke to see his girlfriend who has identified him as a member of RRS in Aba. The lady in question is alive. She is ready to testify about the incident.
“We are surprised that he has not been arrested despite our report to Igbere Police Division. We are appealing to the police to arrest the killer and let justice be done. My family has been mourning since the incident.” He revealed.
Reacting to the incident, Hon. Chijioke Chukwu in an interview with newsmen, accused the police of attempting to cover up the incident, branding the unprovoked killing as a cult war in Bende.
However, he disputed this claim, stating that the killer policeman, who serves in Aba, came to Ugwueke to commit the crime, “The community, backed by an investigation confirmed the officer’s identity and has been trying to get the police to hand over the assailant for trial, but to no avail.”
The former Bende lawmaker further appealed to influential figures, including the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, to intervene and ensure justice for the slain Obinna.
When contacted, Abia State Police Command Spokesperson, DSP Maureen Chinaka, said they were yet to get report of the incident and advised the family to formally complain to the Commissioner for police for thorough investigation.
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