CP Bala Ciroma
By Funmilola Aworele, Abuja 29 January, 2020
(In front) Mrs Fransisca Ogbu with her two years old baby, (in cap to the left) Chairman NUJ (FCT) Mr Emmanuel Ogbeche, (extreme right) Secretary NUJ Mr Ochiaka Ugwu flanked by the Editor-in-Chief RegentAfrica Times, Mr Shola Akingboye
Police Commissioner in charge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, CP Bala Ciroma has expressed sympathy while received the widow of the slain journalist, late Alexander Ogbu and other family members in his office on Tuesday.
It would be recalled that Alexander Ameh Ogbu, a Journalist with RegentAfrica Times was killed by the alleged Police gunshot to dispersed members of the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), known as Shi’ite group during the group’s public protest at the Berger area of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja on Tuesday, 21st January, 2020.
The Police Chief on Wednesday 28 of January, expressed his dissatisfaction over the incident during a scheduled meeting with the late Alex’s family and the two year old daughter of the deceased.
Held at the instance of the Chairman of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Chapter, Mr. Emmanuel Ogbeche as parts of his leadership response to the clarion calls for justice by media practitioners across the country; the CP Ciroma during the meeting consoles Mrs. Fransisca Ogbu as he advised the widow to take heart. He describes death as a debt owed by everyone, says what happened to Alex could also have happened to him or anyone.
“Madam, this is a painful moment for all of us. A circumstance no one pray for, and what happened to your husband could as well happened to me or anyone”
“My appeal is I want you to take heart,”
Investigations are ongoing on the circumstances of your husband’s death”
“We shall brief you more on the development when the autopsy report is out”
While assure the widow of a thorough investigation into the death of late Alex Ogbu, the CP noted that beyond autopsy, there are other gray areas of investigations the command is working on to unravel the death of the late journalist.
Earlier at the Chapel’s Secretariat in Utako, the NUJ Chairman, Emmanuel Ogbeche while extends his condolences to the family on behalf of the NUJ FCT Chapter where the late journalists belong until his death, assured Mrs Ogbu and other family members present of the NUJ’s moral support, particularly the quest for justice demands by members of the fourth realm of the estate.
Ogbeche further revealed to the family, the planned Night of Candle Light procession in honour of the slain colleague, Mr Alexander Ogbu on a date yet to be announced at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the body of the Late Alexander Ogbu, according to the Police Commissioner shall be released to the NUJ for burial on request by Mrs Fransisca Ogbu, while all parties await the autopsy result conducted on the deceased.
The Editor-in-Chief of RegentAfrica Times, Mr. Shola Akingboye accompanied the deceased family to the meeting with the Commissioner of Police on Tuesday.
