The Imo State Police Command has commenced manhunt for the Police Inspector, Mr Michael Edem, who allegedly shot and killed one Mr Friday Nduka in cold blood, two days to his wedding.
The victim, a Malaysia returnee, was killed in the company of his wife to be at a fuel station belonging the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) filling station after a scuffle with one of the pump attendants who he accused of allegedly stealing his phone from his car dashboard.
Eyewitness said that after the fight, the victim had entered into his car and was driving out of the petrol station when the inspector, who was attached to the mega station, came out from one of the offices and flagged him down and walked up to him and shot him severally on the chest at close range before escaping from the scene.
The State Police spokesman, Mr Andrew Enwerem, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, told the Nation that the Inspector, who escaped from the scene after committing the dastardly act, was yet to turn himself in.
He said that the Commissioner of Police, Mr Taiwo Lakanu, had directed that he should be fished out to face the law.
“The Policeman, who shot and killed the victim has not reported or turned himself in. We are making efforts to apprehend him. We have gone to his home but he is nowhere to be found. But we are not going to leave any stone unturned in making sure that he is arrested and brought to book,” Mr Enwerem stated.
He, however, disclosed that the salary and other entitlements of the fleeing culprit had been stopped by the Commissioner of Police, who he said had assured the victim’s immediate family of justice.
“If he doesn’t turn himself in he will be declared a deserter but we are assuring the family that we are saddened by the action of the officer and we are certainly not going to sweep it under the carpet.
“The Command wishes to assure the general public that it will do everything humanly possible to ensure that justice is done and quickly too,” he told promised.
Meanwhile, reactions have continued to trail the gruesome murder of the 28-year-old, from Egbuoma in Ogutal Council Area of the State.
The Southeast Chairman of the Campaign for Democracy (CD) Dede Uzor A Uzor, who described the action of the Policeman as reckless, called on the Inspector General of Police to direct that the culprit be fished out without delay to face the law to serve as a deterrent to others.