OWERRI — Three university students have been arrested by police in Imo State following the death of a 21-year-old undergraduate who was allegedly subjected to a fatal assault over an accusation of stealing the equivalent of just £13.50.
The Imo State Police Command confirmed on Sunday that the suspects are in custody after Chinedu Chibuzo Chritogonus, a first-year Cyber Security student at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), died on 30th May under suspicious circumstances.
According to a statement issued by the command’s spokesman, DSP Henry Okoye, the deceased was a member of the Man O’ War organisation on campus. It is alleged that fellow members of the group accused him of stealing thirteen thousand five hundred Nigerian Naira (N13,500) – approximately £13.50 – and subjected him to severe assault.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the deceased… was allegedly subjected to severe assault by some members of the organisation following an accusation of theft,” Mr Okoye said.
The three suspects currently in police custody have been named as Chukwuemeka Benedict, Kelechi Gospel Ikenna and Obioma Anastasia – all of whom are final-year (500-level) students at the same university.
Initial findings suggest the victim was restrained and beaten, sustaining critical injuries. He was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Owerri, where medical staff later confirmed his death.
The Commissioner of Police for Imo State, CP Audu Garba Bosso, was said to have ordered immediate action upon receiving the report, leading to the swift arrest of the three individuals. Mr Okoye confirmed that relevant evidence has been secured and the student’s body has been deposited in a morgue for preservation and an eventual autopsy.
To ensure a thorough and discreet inquiry, the Commissioner has transferred the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Owerri. He has also ordered that all other persons connected to the incident be identified and investigated.
“No individual, regardless of status, will be shielded from the law if found culpable,” the police spokesman said, adding that the command remains committed to uncovering the full circumstances surrounding the death.
The Commissioner assured the deceased’s family, the university community and the wider public that police are “fully on top of the situation” and urged calm while the investigation proceeds.
The university management has not yet issued an official statement on the matter following police intervention.
