Police to get statements from Okija suspects today
By Alex Olise
ALL the suspects arrested over the human bodies and skulls found at the Okija shrine in Anambra State are to tender formal statements before the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) today.
They are also to explain the shrine's mode of operation and how the bodies got to the evil forest.
A senior official at the Force Headquarters in Abuja told The Guardian yesterday that the Police High Command had received a fresh order from the Presidency to do justice in the investigation.
Already, police authorities in Anambra State have moved more exhibits discovered at the shrine to Abuja in readiness for the probe.
A source said that the investigation was moved to Abuja to prevent some suspected patrons of the shrine, who are well-heeled citizens, from hijacking it at the police headquarters of Anambra State.
The 32 suspects have already been transferred to the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, for interrogation. Some of them were half-dressed while others wore rags, according to reports.
The Anambra State House of Assembly has also directed Governor Chris Ngige to immediately set up a committee to investigate the matter.
Shortly after the suspects arrived in Abuja, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Administration), Mr. Sunday Ehindero, summoned a meeting of top officers to analyse preliminary reports from Awka by the Special Monitoring Team that went to the state.
It was learnt that the team, which also visited the shrine last Wednesday, effected the transfer of the suspects to Abuja.
The team, which was led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ahmed Yusuf, brought the suspects in a Mercedes Benz truck to the Force Headquarters at about 4.00p.m.
The team, which took over investigations into the activities at the shrine, completed its assignment early last Thursday and returned immediately to Abuja.
All the suspects were kept in the open at a mini-parade ground at the Force Headquarters with most of them looking sober.
A source at the meeting of the police chiefs said: "Police hierarchy got preliminary briefings from the Special Monitoring Team led by ACP Ahmed Yusuf. The top police chiefs were briefed on how the investigation was conducted, fresh revelations, a few areas left to be covered and why the suspects were brought to Abuja. Ehindero and other chiefs who commended the team also analysed the briefs given."
Around 4.45p.m., Ehindero led police top brass to the mini-parade ground at the Force Headquarters to see the suspects.
Items recovered from the suspects, including two video (VHS) recording cassettes and eight registers, were also displayed.
Addressing the suspects in Igbo, Ehindero said: "We assure you of your protection in police custody.
"But, I urge you to co-operate with the police in getting to the root of the activities at the Okija shrine. We will do our best to be fair and thorough to all in our investigations."
The directive of the State House of Assembly to Ngige to set up a committee to investigate the matter followed a resolution reached at its sitting in Awka, last Thursday.
The Deputy Speaker, Mr. Ozoemena Ughammadu, sponsored a motion to that effect. The legislative body, which lauded the police for raiding the shrine, urged them to destroy many other places of alleged criminal activities still remaining in the state.
It urged that part of the duties of the committee should be to advise the government on how to completely cleanse the state of shrines alleged to be under the grips of criminals.
But the resolution was silent on the allegation that most members of the House also swore to an oath of allegiance to Chief Chris Uba before the Ogwugwu Shrine in 2003.
