Two weeks after the gruesome murder of popular Awka Master of Ceremony and celebrity town crier, Mr Aiza Nwosu, the Anambra State Police Command has arrested his niece, Miss Jennifer Nwosu, alongside 12 suspected cultists in connection with the ongoing investigation.
The victim’s nephew, Mr Kenechukwu Nwosu, who the police identified as a principal suspect, remains at large. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Awka, explaining that Jennifer was initially arrested and later granted bail but was subsequently rearrested after allegations surfaced that the Command demanded N600,000 for her release.
Ikenga dismissed the allegation, describing it as untrue and insisting that the Command did not collect any money from Jennifer before she was released. According to him, investigators became interested in Jennifer because of her alleged communication with her brother, Kenechukwu, on the night of Aiza Nwosu’s murder.
Ikenga said Jennifer, during interrogation conducted in the presence of her lawyer, initially denied having seen or spoken with her brother for about five years. He, however, said information obtained by investigators indicated that she communicated with Kenechukwu on the night of the incident and allegedly informed him about the death of Aiza Nwosu.
He said the communication was among the issues being investigated by the police, particularly as investigators were attempting to locate the suspect who remains at large. Ikenga stated: “The Command is investigating a cult-related murder in Awka. As part of that investigation, the police are examining individuals and circumstances that may assist in identifying the perpetrators and locating the principal suspect who remains at large.
“During interrogation conducted in the presence of her lawyer, Miss Nwosu denied communicating with the suspect for over five years. However, information available to investigators indicated that there was communication between her and the suspect on the night of the incident.
“The communication under investigation included information concerning the death of the victim and an alert to the suspect that the police were closing in on him. These were legitimate investigative issues that the police had a duty to clarify.”
The police spokesman stressed that being invited, arrested or questioned in connection with an investigation did not amount to a declaration of guilt, adding that the Command remained guided by due process and the presumption of innocence.
He further explained that Jennifer was subsequently released after offering to assist the police in locating and apprehending her brother. Ikenga said the release was connected to the ongoing investigation and the need to explore every lawful means of bringing the principal suspect to justice.
He also cited Section 83 of the Criminal Code of Anambra State, which, according to him, provides for liability where a person becomes an accessory after the fact to a felony. He added that the Administration of Criminal Justice Law provides the legal framework for bail and criminal proceedings, stressing that the police would continue to exercise their investigative responsibilities within the law.
On the allegation by the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) that N600,000 was demanded from Jennifer for her release, Ikenga said the allegation was false. He explained that Jennifer was granted bail at the office of the Commissioner of Police, which, he said, demonstrated that no money was collected from her.
Ikenga urged individuals and organisations making allegations of extortion, corruption or misconduct against the Command to provide credible and verifiable evidence.
“We welcome scrutiny, but we also urge individuals and organisations making allegations of extortion, corruption or misconduct to support such claims with credible and verifiable evidence,” he said.
