DPO on the run over kidnap of 19-yr-old undergraduate

Sam Chukwu, a police officer who rose to become a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), joined the force to maintain peace and order. This duty involves fighting crimes and arresting criminals. But Chukwu, who also trained as a lawyer, deviated from the crime bursting calling. He rather allegedly resorted to abetting and committing various kinds of crimes.

He allegedly not only relished criminal activities, he harbours and gave cover to criminals as well as police officers dismissed on the grounds of sleaze.

Suspended last year by the former Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo, for his alleged involvement in the kidnap of a 19- year-old 300 level Accountancy student of University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Lotachukwu Ezeudu, the former DPO has now gone underground and has been declared wanted by the Police.

Lotachukwu, who was kidnapped on September 26, 2009, was allegedly lured out by DPO Sam Chukwu’s son, Nnaemeka Chukwu, said to be a bosom friend of Lotachukwu. Uptill now, Lotachukwu has not been released or found, even after a ransom was paid by his parents for his release.

Snippets show that they may have snuffed life out of him, after reasoning that he would expose their identity.

Last Monday, seven of the accomplices including the son of the run-away DPO in the kidnap saga, were arraigned before an Enugu High Court charged with conspiracy, kidnap and murder. The offence, according to the prosecution, were committed at Trans Ekulu, a suburb of Enugu.

Those arraigned included Chijioke Chinwuba, Ernest Okeke, Chika Mgbada, Etido Effiong Udo and Fabulous Chukwu. Also docked were Nnaemeka Chukwu (DPO’s son) and Chukwudi Obi. The first accused is a brother to a dismissed police officer, Desmond Chinwuba, who is also on the run.

He is said to be the chief purveyor of the crime. The second accused person, Ernest Okeke, was also a dismissed police officer being harboured alongside run-away Desmond by DPO Sam Chukwu in his house.

The two ex-police officers, Desmond Chinwuba and Ernest Okeke, who lived in Chukwu’s house, were dismissed from the Police on account of their alleged involvement in a previous kidnap and armed robbery case. They were on trial and on bail in that case when they kidnapped Lotachukwu.

Another suspect in the wanted list of the Police is Uche Amajor, the son of a proprietor of a guest house in Trans Ekulu. Lotachukwu, according to police sources, was held in one of the rooms of the guest house after his kidnap.

The Police and Ministry of Justice officials in Enugu were surprised that DPO Sam Chukwu, who was suspended by Onovo last year, could disappear into thin air. Prosecutors had disclosed after intensive investigations that Sam Chukwu was implicated in the September 2009 kidnap of Lotachukwu.

But the snag immediately after the implication of Chukwu was that the Police could not arrest him “without orders from the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim.”

But by the time the Police eventually received the orders to arrest him, Sam Chukwu had escaped from his house through the back door. His wife, who was said to have been in front of the house when the Police came calling, immediately alerted the DPO, who scaled the wall to escape.

Runaway DPO Chukwu was said to have acquired numerous houses in Enugu and several expensive cars. After his escape from his house, the fleeing DPO gave instructions to his wife to arrange hiding away some of the expensive cars parked in his Trans Ekulu residence.

An official of the Ministry of Justice, which is prosecuting the case, who would not like his name in print, told The Nation that the Police should apply every means to ferret him out of his hiding. “This is necessary because he has soiled the good image of the Police by sponsoring criminals and partaking in the loot.”

At the resumed hearing of the case last Monday,the charge sheet further stated that the accused persons on or about 6th day of October, at Trans Ekulu , allegedly murdered Lotachukwu by stabbing him on the neck with a knife.

Though, all the accused persons, except those at large, have been arraigned in court, the prosecuting counsel in the case, Mr Peter Eze, told newsmen at the court that the Attorney-General of the state, Mr. Nduka Ikeyin, believes that there was strong evidence linking Sam Chukwu with the alleged criminal act.

Eze said there was a confessional statement from one of the accused persons, who was dismissed from the Police, that a vehicle belonging to Sam Chukwu was used to carry the body of Ezeudu.

He hinted that the state had concluded plans to amend the charge sheet of the case with a view to including the name of DPO Sam Chukwu, who is now on the run.

Eze assured that they would file the amended charge sheet before the next sitting of the Enugu High court which comes up on May 19, 2011.

Earlier, when the case came for plea, the presiding judge, Mrs Pearl Enejere, had asked one of the defence counsel to appear for the 4th accused person, Etido Effiong Udo, who claimed his parents were not aware of his whereabouts.

The judge later adjourned the case for plea and hearing on applications based on the absence of counsel to some of the accused persons.