It was a sad year indeed for Inspector Ojonugwa Ocheidi, before he was felled by bullets from armed robbers on Monday. He buried his wife in January, and his brother’s body has been in a morgue awaiting burial.
The police inspector assigned to the Chairman of Bomadi Local Government Area, Hon. Dagidi Andaye, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at the chairman’s residence in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The slain officer, identified as Inspector O. Ocheidi Ojonugba of PMF 51 and popularly known as “Ade,” was reportedly killed while sleeping in his lounge within the chairman’s apartment in the early hours of Monday.
At the time of the incident, Hon. Andaye was said to be in Asaba on official duties.
Special Assistant on Security to the chairman, Obasanjo Zokumor, who spoke at the scene, recounted the events leading up to the attack. According to him, the assailants gained entry into the compound between 3:00 am and 4:00 am by breaking through the generator house while the generator was running.
“Once inside, they went straight to the officer’s room where he was asleep and shot him in the neck at close range,” Zokumor said.
He further explained that after killing the officer, the intruders proceeded to the main building, gained access through a back entrance by destroying a burglary protector, and entered the dining area before making their way to the children’s room.
“In the children’s room, they demanded to know where the chairman kept his money and where the wife’s jewelry was stored. They held the children hostage, firing shots at the POP ceiling and walls to threaten them,” he added.
The robbers reportedly made away with four mobile phones, two iPads, and a laptop. They returned to the apartment in search of more electronic gadgets but found none.
Zokumor expressed concern over what might have happened had the chairman and his wife been at home during the attack. He also revealed that the gun belonging to the slain officer was left behind and has since been handed over to the Divisional Police Officer of Agbarha Division.
Attempts to reach the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Edafe Bright, were unsuccessful as calls and messages were not returned at the time of filing this report.
However, a source within the Delta State Police Command confirmed the incident. According to the source: “At about 4:15 am on August 25, we received information that armed men had broken into the residence of Hon. Dagidi Andaye in Ughelli. Officers from the Ofuoma Police Division responded and discovered that Inspector Ocheidi Ojonugba of PMF 51 had been shot in the neck at close range and died instantly.
“His service AK-47 rifle with 57 rounds of ammunition was recovered at the scene. The assailants stole four phones, a laptop, and two power banks.”
The source added that four mobile police officers were assigned to the chairman, but on the day of the incident, two had traveled with him to Asaba, one was with his wife, and the deceased officer had remained behind alone—leaving him vulnerable.
His body has been deposited in a private morgue in Ughelli, while investigations into the incident continue.
● Report details & photo from www.politicsgovernance.com.
