Chinedu Ani

2005

Enugu State.

At 2:45pm on August 1, 2005, a politician made a complaint at the Ogui Road Police Station claiming he was attacked by armed robbers. About 15 minutes later, Chinedu Ani and his friend, driving by the police station were followed by the police and subsequently shot. The police never verified the claim by the politician.

Bleeding but still alive, they were kept in the boot of the police officer’s cars until 5pm when the police officers finally decided to take them to the hospital. By the time they got to the hospital an hour later, Chinedu was already dead.

Amnesty International states that they have reason to believe the police tried to cover up the story because while the police officer claims he had to fire at the Chinedu Ani and his friend to foil their escape bid, Chinedu Ani’s friend testified that the police opened fire as soon as they opened the car door. In addition to this, eyewitnesses stated that earlier that day, both victims visited the politician/complainant to garner support for the friend’s football career. During the course of the visit, the politician became visibly angry, and told them he would “deal with them severely.”

The governor of Enugu State set up a Commission of Inquiry into the death of Chinedu Ani on September 9, 2005. However, the report of this has not been made public nor has the police officers responsible been prosecuted.