By Uche Kalu
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Ikoye Orutugu, has ordered a continuous and discreet investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a 17-year-old apprentice whose lifeless body was discovered in a compound at Umuzocha, Awka.
In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Command said preliminary information indicated that on October 5, 2025, at about 10:55 a.m., it received a report from a resident who returned from a church vigil to find the body of an unidentified young man in her compound.
Following the report, police operatives attached to the Central Police Station, Awka, promptly visited the scene, took photographs, and conveyed the victim to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor.
Further investigation later identified the deceased as Chikamso Ejiofor, aged 17, an apprentice. The police subsequently traced and informed his parents of the incident. However, the family voluntarily expressed their decision not to pursue the case, citing their awareness of the deceased’s alleged unruly behaviour. They have since sworn an affidavit and submitted a formal withdrawal letter to that effect.
While acknowledging the family’s position, CP Orutugu reaffirmed that the Command has a statutory responsibility to investigate all unnatural deaths to ensure justice and transparency. He directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, to continue a thorough review of the incident to determine the actual cause of death.
