By: Sandra Nnaemeka
The Board of Trustees (BOT), a political leadership forum in Aninri Local Government Area, Enugu State has faulted the interim report by the Nigeria Police Force, which described the attack on the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, as a burglary incident.
The group made their feelings known in a statement signed by the spokesperson of the group, Barr. Okezie Nwanjoku, and released to newsmen on Wednesday.
The Aninri BOT described the police statement as “hasty” and worrisome.
They said, “One thing certain from the police statement is that there was a security breach in the residence of Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
“We are, however, worried about police’s hasty conclusion that the incident was an attempted burglary simply because there was another alleged burglary incident in Apo Legislative Quarters the same day.
“Police admitted on its own that that dangerous exhibits recovered from the criminals included ‘a motor jack, big crew driver, kitchen knife and other house breaking implements’.
“The questions are: In a country where we have seen people strangled with ropes or stabbed to death with knives, are the listed exhibits not dangerous enough to take the life of some?
Yusuf, alleged member of the criminal gang, which attacked Sen. Ike Ekweremadu in his bedroom at Apo Quarters residence in the early hours of Tuesday. Yusuf is currently in police custody.
“Is it not scary that that the assailants not only took hold of Ekweremadu’s son, but went as far as the Senator’s bedroom?
“And by the way, who says a burglar cannot kill or that a killer cannot be a burglar to gain access”.
The group wondered why mere burglars would take the great risk of taking their trades to such high-risk premises, and called on the police to do a thorough investigation.
“With due respect to the police authorities, we do not think that the criminal gang came for a tea party with the Senator and his family, especially given previous attempts on the life of the Senator.
“We, therefore, earnestly beseech the police to do a more thorough investigation to unearth every detail concerning the attack with a view to arresting the remaining members of the gang, who are at large and bringing every soul involved in this dastardly act under the full weight of the law”, they concluded.