Protest erupts as police allegedly kill musician Igbo Jah in Enugu 

 

Protests erupted in Enugu City, the capital of Enugu State, on Saturday afternoon over the killing of Okezie Mba, a musician known popularly as Igbo Jah, whom the police felled a day earlier.

 

 

Residents of the city woke up to news of Mba’s passing at the hands of a trigger-happy policeman. They found his body in front of the police’s anti-cult headquarters with bullet holes.

 

 

 

 

Reacting to the development, they trooped to the headquarters in a bid to capture the policeman responsible for his death.

 

 

They also marched through the streets, chanting against the police and burning tyres in protest.

 

 

When their protests became heated, the police dispersed the residents with tear gas.

 

 

 

 

Reacting to the development on Saturday, Daniel Ndukwe, spokesman for the Enugu State Police Command, issued a statement confirming a policeman shot Mba.

 

 

Ndukwe did not state the name of the policeman responsible for the musician’s death. He only said the force had arrested the culprit and would investigate the matter.

 

 

His statement read in part, “A male Police Inspector serving in the Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad of the Enugu State Police Command has been arrested and detained for the alleged murder of a male traditional Ogene musician, Okezie Chikezie Mba, popularly known as Igbo-Jah. The incident occurred around 8:10 p.m. on October 25, 2024, at the Tactical Squad’s Headquarters.

 

 

“The musician was reportedly leaving the Squad’s Headquarters after a friendly visit when, for reasons yet to be ascertained, the police officer fired his rifle, hitting the victim. He was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead by the attending doctor.

 

 

“His body has been deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.”

 

 

The incident is one of several similar cases in which trigger-happy policemen murder Nigerians.

 

 

In October 2020, a similar event in Delta state led to the nationwide protest against police brutality that became #EndSARS.

 

 

Despite several protests and calls for reforms, the police continue to extort, harass and kill Nigerians.

 

 

Source: FIJ