The brutal assault and death of Okechukwu Akaneme, former president of the Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, raises a pressing question for Governor Charles Soludo: Will his government deliver justice to the late Akaneme’s family? 

This question arises amid what some have described as the initial denial by officials in Soludo’s administration concerning the involvement of waste disposal agents under the state’s employment and two police officers in the assault that led to Akaneme’s death. 

Media reports indicate that on October 11, 2024, agents of Salitz International Ventures—a waste collection company under the employment of the Anambra State Waste Management Authority—assaulted Akaneme at his residence over an alleged outstanding debt. 

The assault reportedly occurred after Akaneme resisted an attempt by the agents to forcefully arrest him. During the struggle, one of the agents allegedly forced his arms through Akaneme’s armpits and locked them behind his neck, resulting in a bone-cracking injury.

Realising the extent of the harm they had caused, the agents and police officers reportedly fled the scene, leaving Akaneme lying on the floor. He was later found by employees and neighbours who heard the commotion and rushed him to the hospital, where tests revealed a fractured backbone. 

Journalist and social justice activist Charles Ogbu, writing on Facebook, recounted how officials of the state government, including environment commissioner Felix Odimegwu, initially dismissed Akaneme’s account, believing he was exaggerating the incident. 

It wasn’t until a month after the assault, when Ogbu showed the commissioner a photo of Akaneme lying unconscious in a hospital bed, that the government began to take the matter seriously. Only then did it suspend the waste management company and launch an investigation. 

According to the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Tochukwu Obodogha, the environment ministry’s permanent secretary, acknowledged the incident more than a month later on November 19, 2024, and ordered an investigation into the case.

In a statement, Obodogha announced that the Anambra State Ministry of Environment had “initiated a comprehensive investigation” and was suspending “all operations of Salitz International Ventures with immediate effect pending the full investigation.”

Over seven months have passed since an official from the ministry of environment announced that an investigation had been launched into the incident. Yet, until Akaneme’s death last week, little was heard of the probe. Aside from the Anambra State Government taking over his hospital bills — following a visit by a fact-finding team — no further updates were made public. 

Now that Akaneme has succumbed to the injuries sustained from the assault, Governor Soludo’s administration must go beyond merely suspending Salitz International Ventures’ operating license. The company’s agents, along with the two rogue police officers involved, must be apprehended and held fully accountable under the law. 

This is not the time to shield rogue government agents or police officers. The Anambra State Police Command must uphold its duty to protect and defend all residents in the state, especially by holding its own officers accountable when they break the law. 

If the actions of these rogue waste disposal agents were not sanctioned by the Anambra State Government, then the state should have no difficulty treating this case like any other criminal matter involving a resident. The government must pursue justice for the family of the late Akaneme with full resolve and prosecute this crime to the fullest extent of the law. 

Holding government agents accountable is not an indictment of any political leader. On the contrary, it demonstrates that these agents acted against government policy and that their actions are not tolerated. The same standard must apply to the police officers involved. 

The police commissioner must ensure that those officers are prosecuted for the death of Akaneme. This should not be a difficult decision. Nigerians are watching closely to see how both the Anambra State Government and the police handle this case.

Ojo Maduekwe runs Discussing Africa Media. Write him: mrmaduekwe@gmail.com