By Ruth Oginyi
An elder brother to Chinonso Nwigwe, a.k.a SARIKI who was reportedly killed by suspected political thugs last month has vowed to ensure justice is given to his younger brother.
The brother to the deceased, Nwigwe Uchenna who is a Lieutenant Officer in the Nigerian Army spoke to newsmen in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state.
Late Chinonso, 28 was a member of Ebubeagu Security Network in Ebonyi State and was killed during the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ward Congress in the State held last month.
The deceased victim was killed at Ugwuachara Primary School Polling Unit when suspected thugs invaded the place and shot sporadically to scare voters and cart away materials for the Congress.
The deceased, a graduate of the Sociology Department of Ebonyi State University was to be mobilized for his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), this August, 2021.
However, his elder brother, Lt. Nwigwe Uchenna, said he must secure justice for Chinoso.
Lt. Nwigwe alleged that the matter was being swept under the carpet by the police and vowed to use all legal means to ensure justice for the late brother.
He said, “I was granted a pass on the 28th of last month to proceed for my wedding ceremony. On arriving at my State, a week to my wedding which was on the 31st night, I received the very sad news of the demise of my brother.
“It was a very difficult moment for me. What I did was that I went straight to military cantonment close to my area and that is Nkwagu barrack in this Abakaliki. I reported the matter there and the Commandant wrote to police headquarters to ensure proper investigation.
“So, I was not there at the point of the incident. My father called me in the night when he broke the news that I should come to Federal Teaching Hospital in this State. I quickly drove to the scene and met my younger brother lying dead. I was very angry and devastated.
“When I enquired to find out what happened, I was told that he was called and other members of Ebubeagu Security Network. My brother and other members of the security network were called that there were civil disturbances at Ugbodo and they went there and restored normalcy. The second call came up again and they were called to come to Ugwuachara.
“On getting to the scene, they were able to restore normalcy but thugs who came in there with a prominent politician from Izzi local government just opened fire. Unfortunately, the bullet hit my younger brother and people could not even rescue him.
“When I reported the case to the police headquarters here, they just told me that they are going to investigate the case very transparently and I was very happy. To my greatest surprise when I ordered for the arrest of the politician that ordered for the shooting, I was told he has been arrested. I said okay, that is a good step. I demanded that I want to see the politician in the custody. I went to their custody book (in search of him) as a suspect, I did not see his name. I went to their board, I didn’t see his name which means that the politician was not even arrested.
“People that came to give witness on the matter, police was threatening them, threatening somebody that has never written a statement, I have never seen a thing like that. Initially, when this case started, police were exhibiting professionalism. Of recent, things became offensive.
“I am not happy on the whole thing and I don’t want to take laws into my hands using weapons. I should have carried my weapon to look for those that killed my younger brother but I don’t want to take laws into my hands.
“I will not accept what happened to my brother. This is somebody that was trained from infant to the University level and he was supposed to go to his NYSC and he was killed just like that.
“One of the first steps I am taking in this issue is this briefing since the case is being compromised. I have equally told my Commandant here in military cantonment and I have equally told them not to compromise this investigation. I am going to exhaust every legal means to ensure justice for my brother. Am not going to take laws into my hands but I will follow it legally”, he said.
Father to the victim, Nicodemus Nwigwe in his submission, mourned that his son who he described as a peaceful person was killed without any effort by relevant authorities to bring his killers to the book.
The deceased’s father who also accused the Police of compromise on the matter alleged that his son’s corpse was taken to the mortuary on Saturday when the incident took place without embalmment and would have busted if not that he went to the mortuary three days after (Monday) and requested for his decomposing body to be embalmed.
“His dead body was taken to the mortuary and abandoned there. It was not embalmed on that Saturday they killed him till Monday. When I went there, I saw that the boy has swollen up and was about to burst.
“I am calling for justice on my sons’ death. Those who killed him are going about freely without being tried”, he said.
Contacted, the State’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Loveth Odah said she will contact the Police Investigating Officer on the matter and know the level of investigation into the killing.
“I will call the person that investigated the matter and know how far they have gone in the investigation. I will call on the investigator and know how far they have gone in the investigation.
Meanwhile, we are not even afraid of being accused of compromise and all that, we are not afraid. It is already in the minds of some of you while some are commending but we will always try to do our best and satisfy our conscience and treat Police with a human face”, she reacted.