The Anambra State Police Command has dismissed the report making the rounds that security agents from the Department of State Service were responsible for the murder of a middle-aged man in Ogidi on March 16.
The command through its spokesperson, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, made this known in a statement on Friday, adding that the Ogidi homicide was done by a vigilante member, not DSS officials as erroneously reported.
The statement read, “The attention of our Command has been drawn to a misleading story purporting that security agents from DSS were responsible for the murder of a middle-aged man in Ogidi on March 16, 2023.
“The Command owes a duty to the public to correct the erroneous report.
“The deceased was shot by a member of the Vigilante group in the area. On receiving the report at about 0200 hrs, the police moved in swiftly and effected the arrest of the assailant who was found with a Pump Action Gun.
“The assailant was disarmed and taken into custody for interrogation and comprehensive investigation.”
Meanwhile, the state Election Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, while commiserating with the family of the deceased, assured the public that investigation into the homicide would be swift and thorough and the assailant arraigned in court to face justice.
He thanked the youths of Ogidi for ensuring their protest was peaceful.
He also appreciated the traditional rulers who mediated to calm frayed nerves.
The CP, however, urged the people to remain law abiding as he assured them that the police will always protect their fundamental human rights.
READ ALSO Jilli Airstrike: Supporters Of Terrorists Will Be Treated As Bandits, Defence Minister Warns Defence Minister Christopher Musa has warned that supporters of terrorists would be treated as criminals. He said this on Monday as he reacted to the airstrike carried out by the Nigerian Air Force airstrike in Jilli, Borno State, over the weekend. Speaking after an expanded security meeting in Kaduna with the state governor and heads of security agencies, Musa said the operation sends a clear message to those collaborating with terrorist groups. He stressed that anyone found supporting insurgents would face the same consequences as the perpetrators. “A friend of a thief is a thief,” he said, warning civilians against associating with or providing any form of assistance to terrorists. Musa urged residents to steer clear of areas known to be used by insurgents, noting that proximity or collaboration could have grave consequences. The airstrike, carried out near the village of Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area, targeted what the military described as an ISWAP enclave and logistics hub. According to the Nigerian Air Force, the operation was intelligence-driven and aimed at neutralising terror elements and destroying their equipment. However, reports have emerged alleging that the strike may have affected a weekly market in the area, with civilians, including cross-border traders, reportedly among casualties. Musa, however, maintained that the strike should serve as a strong warning to those aiding insurgent activities, reaffirming the military’s resolve to intensify operations against terrorist networks. Air Component of Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, conducted a precision air strike on a known terrorist enclave and logistics hub located near the abandoned village of Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State. Giving an update on the airstrike, the Nigerian Army in a post on its official X handle said, “The successful strike, executed on 11 April 2026, followed sustained intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions over the Bindul–Jilli axis, an area long identified as a major terrorist movement corridor and convergence point for Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists and their collaborators.”
