The desire of every young undergraduate in
Nigeria is to put on the uniform of the National Youth Service Corps
(NYSC) and be addressed as a ‘corper'. But fate was very cruel to
24-year-old Augusta Chizoba Ndukwu of
Umufu-Amaimo, Ikeduru Local Government area of Imo State. She was
gruesomely murdered by unknown persons at Upper Iweka area of the
commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State.
It was quite sad
that Augusta, who had survived a series
of hostilities and bombings by the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram, in Adamawa State, where she observed her one-year mandatory national youth service, would painfully meet her untimely death in a place she felt was her home. Her voice was filled with joy when she spoke to her relatives in Owerri on phone. telling them that she had finally come home. She told them that she was at the luxurious park in Upper Iweka, informing them also that she would join them in Owerri the next morning. But she never lived to see the faces of her loved ones , as she was gruesomely murdered by unknown persons that fateful night.
Daily Sun gathered that the
deceased, a graduate of Banking and finance from the Federal
Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State, was found lying in the pool of her own
blood at the notorious fly-over at Upper Iweka on September 12.
According to a family member and the Vice Chairman of Nigeria Union of
Journalists, (NUJ) Imo State Council, Chief Chris Akaraonye, Chizoba
left Yola, the capital of Adamawa State on September 11 where she was
having her NYSC primary assignment. She was travelling to Onitsha en
route Owerri but could not get to her final destination that time
because it was already late.
Chief Akaraonye further said the
deceased, who had boarded a luxurious bus belonging to a popular
transport company (names withheld), called her relatives to inform them
that she could not make it again to Owerri. She also informed them that
she had decided to pass the night at the company’s motor park together
with other passengers. However, according to him, the following day, the
family of the deceased, including her fiancé, waited in anxiety for the
arrival of Chizoba in Owerri but to no avail. They then started trying
her mobile line, but it had been switched off.
“At first, we
thought she had a low battery. But after waiting for almost the whole
day, we realized it was not usual and we decided to make moves to know
why somebody that spoke to us at 10 pm last night could not be reached
on phone or could not get to Owerri. In the course of our doubts and
fears, we started going through different police stations and Federal
Road Safety Commission (FRSC) formations along the Onitsha-Owerri Road
to ascertain if she was involved in a motor accident.
It was
when we came to Onitsha that we found her corpse at the Onitsha General
Mortuary with gunshot wounds to her chest.” In the next morning, early
passersby were shocked to their marrow when they beheld the gory sight
of a lady lying in the pool of her own blood at the Upper Iweka axis
with two traveling bags filled with children clothing and popcorn. One
of the eyewitnesses who pleaded anonymity said that the deceased was a
victim of ritual killers.
She confirmed that she was found lying at
the Upper Iweka flyover with gunshot wounds on her chest and two traveling bags containing children clothes and popcorn beside her
corpse. Though the police swiftly said the deceased could be the victim
of an armed robbery attack, they also revealed that the bags were
planted by the assailants to divert police investigations, stressing
that the police had commenced investigations into the circumstances
surrounding the murder.
The Campaign for Democracy (CD), South
East Zone has reacted to the incident, describing it as a sin against
God and humanity. The group called for proper investigations into the
matter with a view to unravelling the circumstances surrounding the
senseless killing of the deceased. The Chairman, South East Zone, Dede
Uzor. A. Uzor condemned the act while calling on the Inspector General
of Police, Mr.Mohammed Abubarka to personally detail a crack team of
investigative police officers to look into the death of the corps
member. Dede Uzor further questioned the omission of the deceased’s name
in the passengers’ manifest and the alleged role that the transport
company played when they returned the bags of the deceased to Yola
without contacting the police.
Also speaking on the incident, Chairman of Ndigbo Unity Forum, Mr. Augustine Chukwudum condemned the act, describing it as the most wicked act and cruelty ever meted out to any corps member in the history of the state. Mr. Chukwudum also said his group would mobilize to make sure that criminal elements are sacked from the commercial city. He said the presence of such criminals was hindering the development of commerce and industry in the city.
Also speaking on the incident, Chairman of Ndigbo Unity Forum, Mr. Augustine Chukwudum condemned the act, describing it as the most wicked act and cruelty ever meted out to any corps member in the history of the state. Mr. Chukwudum also said his group would mobilize to make sure that criminal elements are sacked from the commercial city. He said the presence of such criminals was hindering the development of commerce and industry in the city.
However, policemen attached to the Central Police Station, CPS, Onitsha
led by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Mr. Abdul Yusuf said they
have arrested three persons in connection with the death of the corps
member, adding that they were still working to unravel the circumstances
surrounding the murder of the deceased.
The police said, though,
that it could be possible that the girl was murdered at the park by some
criminals who then took her body to the Upper Iweka where they kept two
bags containing clothes belonging to a boy of six years just to divert
police investigations.
According to the police, the deceased was not
a victim of ritual killing. It was further gathered that the driver of
the luxury bus that brought the deceased from Yola to Onitsha on that
fateful night, the manager of the transport company and one other person
whose identities were not yet known as at press time have been arrested
by the police.
They were picked up to allegedly help give insight
to the death of the corps member as well as explain how and why the
management of the company swiftly returned the bags of the deceased to
Yola without informing the police. When contacted, the Anambra State
Police Public Relation Officer Mr. Ralph Uzoigwe confirmed that three
persons have been arrested by the police to help them in the course of
investigations.
He appealed to the general public to help the police
with more information that could lead to the arrest of the real killers
of the corps member.
DAILYSUN
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