The Commander of the 211 Quick Response Group of the Nigerian Air Force, Owerri, Delta State, Group Captain Elisha Bindul, has denied the involvement of his officers in the killing of a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, Mr Okonye Stephen.
Stephen, who was also an assistant pastor at the Rain of Life Bible church, Owerri, was returning from an evening fellowship with a friend, Nwako Chimaobi, when gunmen opened fire on his Lexus car.
While he died on the spot, Chimaobi was confirmed dead in a hospital.
The lecturer’s family had blamed the attack on the air force.
But Bindul said those who perpetrated the act were cultists, who trailed the lecturer and got him around the air force base.
He explained that at the time of the incident, no airman was stationed at the Naze Junction, where the incident happened.
He said, “I was right inside my office when I heard the gunshots. I immediately called my officers and alerted them to the development and they arranged themselves for an attack.
“On getting to the scene of the incident, my officers saw a dead man in the car and one other person who was not dead, but was injured. He was immediately taken to a hospital.
“They reported back to me and I immediately called the state Commissioner of Police. When he did not answer his call, I called the Divisional Police Officer, Nekede, and I told him what happened.
“He immediately rushed to the scene. It was when he got here that the CP called back and I told him that the DPO had taken control. It was when I ensured that the matter had been handed over to the police that my men were called back to base.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Orlando Ikeokwu, said the police were conducting a forensic investigation into the incident.