The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Owerri Branch, received with deep shock, grief, and utter condemnation the tragic killing of a lawyer, Ihimekpen Peter Ehize, who was shot dead on Monday, 12th January 2026, at 6A Resort, Road 6, Redemption Estate, Obinze, off Port Harcourt Road, Owerri, by a police inspector.
Mr. Ehize, called to the Bar in 2021 is a hotel manager at the said resort and was reportedly involved in a minor disagreement with an Inspector of Police. According to multiple eyewitness accounts, the officer slapped the deceased three times during the altercation. In the ensuing confrontation, the officer drew his firearm and shot the deceased at close range, leading to his untimely death.
Eyewitnesses further confirmed that the officer fired several additional gunshots to disperse onlookers and fled the scene. The suspect has since been arrested and is currently in police custody following a manhunt by police operatives.
The remains of Mr. Ihimekpen Peter Ehize have been deposited at the morgue.
The leadership of the NBA Owerri Branch has since visited the Imo State Police Command Headquarters, where it met with the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Administration) and the Deputy Commissioner of Police (SCID). The Association unequivocally demanded a thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation into this heinous act and insisted that justice must be served, irrespective of the involvement of a police officer.
The NBA Owerri Branch strongly condemns this senseless and avoidable loss of life. We reiterate that no Nigerian, and certainly no member of the legal profession, deserves to be subjected to such extrajudicial violence.
We hereby call on the Imo State Commissioner of Police to ensure that the suspect is promptly charged to court, prosecuted in accordance with the law, and that no attempt is made to shield, transfer, or compromise the investigation.
The NBA Owerri Branch assures the family of the deceased, members of the Bar, and the general public that we shall closely monitor this matter and deploy all lawful means to ensure accountability and justice.
We mourn the deceased and extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends. Justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done.
Chief Chris U. Ihentuge
(Chairman)
Daniel O. Odiba, ACArb.,
(Secretary)
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