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The late Sgt Lovender Elekwachi who was killed by her colleague with her son

…Police withdraw all officers attached to the Task force on street trading

Okafor Ofiebor/ Port Harcourt

A Port Harcourt Magistrate Court on Tuesday order the remand of a dismissed Police Sergeant, Bitrus Osaiah, who allegedly shot and killed his female colleague, Sergeant Lovender Elekwachi, on Thursday April 23 at her duty post in Eneka in Obio-Akpor Local Government area

The court orders the remand of the dismissed Sergeant Osaiah after he was arraigned by the Rivers State Police Command on a one count charge of murder.

Chief Magistrate Ipalibo Iyabo after hearing from the prosecution lawyer said the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

The court subsequently ordered that the case file should be transferred to the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, for legal advice while adjourning hearing of the suit to May 26, 2020.

The prosecuting lawyer and officer in charge of legal matters, Gladys Imegu, stood in for the Police.

However, the court  order the remand of Osaiah at the cell of the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID and not in prison because of Covid-19 pandemic.

Recall that Osaiah who was attached to the Task force on Illegal Markets and Street Trading allegedly shot the Late Elekwachi while enforcing road decongestion in Eneka, where the deceased police officer was controlling traffic.

In a related development, Rivers State Police Command says it has withdrawn all the Policemen attached to Rivers State Taskforce Force Operations pending the review of its operations.

Policemen attached to the Taskforce force operations were seen in their numbers loitering at the state headquarters at Moscow road in Port Harcourt

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed that the men have been withdrawn in the meantime, and subject to reviews by the Inspector General of Police, IGPs directives.

He said the Policemen will be redeployed to other formations in the state to carry on with their statutory mandate of protecting lives and properties.