By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The sudden death of one Chidubem Ezenwa, a youth from Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State, has sparked off protest in the area.

It was learnt that the youth was taken into custody three weeks ago alongside three others after he and his friends were accused of violence in a hotel in the community.

He was however said to have died in custody, following alleged Police torture after his arrest and the beating he received from fellow cell inmates.

Speaking to journalists during the protest on Tuesday, the father of the deceased, Mr. Sunday Ezenwa, said his son came back from his base in Asaba, Delta State, to check on his friend who was involved in an accident who later died.

He said: “After they were told of the death of his friend, he and his other friends went to a hotel to wait, while the body of their friend was being taken to the mortuary.

“In the process, one of them, while reminiscing on the death of their friend broke a bottle. They later paid for the bottle when the hotel management protested, but the President-General of the community, Barr Ifeanyi Iloakasia, called in the Police and got them arrested, and in the process he (Chidubem) died.

“Up till now, we have not been told anything about our son, and Police has not released his body to us, if assuming he is dead already. We cannot accept that our son is dead. They should release his body to us if he is dead.”

Meanwhile, the President-General of the community, Barr Ifeanyi Iloakasia, has however denied any complicity in the matter, saying that he only called in members of the Anambra Vigilante Services (AVG), when the boys started breaking bottles in the hotel and chasing many people around.

“I was not the one that called in the Police, but the DPO told us that the boy and his friends have been on their wanted list for cultism.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, could not be reached at the time of filing this report, for his reaction.