How Police Inspector allegedly killed Imo lawyer over disputed communal land
Police Inspector Augustine Odidika is now cooling his heels in the cell at the state Criminal investigation Department of the Imo state police command, over the killing of George Chinedu Nwosu, a legal practitioner and Secretary of Umuokanumee Village Mgbidi in Oru East council of Imo state.
Also in the Imo state police net are Uzoma Odidika, Amajouyi,Ireozor and Jude Odidika who were also allegedly accused of terrorizing the community particularly over the disputed communal land which is already a subject of litigation.
Recall that Barr George Chinedu Nwosu was killed on 23 January 2025 by armed men while driving home. A petition against the accused alleged that Inspector Augustine Odidika, alongside Uzoma Odidika, Amajuoyi Ireozor, and Jude Odidika, were terrorizing the community over a disputed communal land that had been a subject of litigation from the High Court to the Supreme Court. Despite the community’s victories in the lower courts, Augustine Odidika and his gang allegedly resorted to violence and threats to assert control over the land.
According to the petition, Augustine Odidika, who claims to have a “killer squad,” openly threatened to shoot anyone who dared oppose him. The late George Chinedu Nwowu, who had served as the Secretary of Umuokanumee Village, was said to one of the primary targets of these threats. The petition detailed an incident on April 6, 2024, where Augustine Odidika was seen trailing Chinedu Nwowu with a machete, raising fears for his safety.
The late Nwowu’s lawyer, N.C. Ogbonna Esq., had earlier appealed to the police to urgently intervene before the situation escalated.
The petition stated: “The activities of the said Augustine and his co-travelers are becoming unbearably, and the youths of the community are agitated. Our clients, being law-abiding citizens, have restrained the youths from taking the law into their hands, but there is a limit to human endurance.”
“Tragically, just days after this petition was submitted, George Chinedu Nwowu was killed under mysterious circumstances, sending shockwaves through the community. Many are now questioning whether his death is connected to the threats outlined in the petition.
Inspector Augustine Odidika, who belongs to the Strike Force of the Nigeria Police Force, has been named as the prime suspect in the killing of George Chinedu Nwowu. Sources from the community reveal that the killing was carried out by a professional assassin, raising concerns about the involvement of a well-organized criminal network.
Augustine Odidika is no stranger to controversy. He was one of the police officers allegedly involved in a joint operation that went viral on the internet, where officers were caught extorting money from innocent citizens using POS machines on the road. How he managed to escape disciplinary action remains a mystery.
Additionally, Augustine Odidika has been linked to other alleged crimes, including a plot to eliminate an innocent pastor, Theodor Igweagbe, in his community, Ugbele Mgbidi, Imo State, through the local vigilante. Despite these allegations, he has continued to serve in the police force, currently stationed in Nasarawa State in the North central.
Augustine Odidika was supposed to have returned to his duty post in December 2024 after a casual leave, but he allegedly stayed behind to mastermind the killing of Barr. Nwowu.
Community members fear that the police may compromise the investigation, given Augustine Odidika’s alleged connections within the force.
The Umuokanumee Village leadership, represented by Elder Sunday Mgbeajuru, and others, has called for a thorough and impartial investigation into Nwowu’s death and the alleged criminal activities of Augustine Odidika and his gang. (Sunday Sun)
