A-68-year old widow, Mrs Monica Onwuegbusi (nee Okoye) from Ogbunike, Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra has cried out for justice over an attack on her brother, Mr Emenike Okoye, whose wife, Nkiru was equally murdered at their home.
According to Mrs Onwuegbusi, on July 19, 2022, her immediate younger brother, Mr George and his wife, Mrs Uzonna Okoye, their son- Mr Somtochukwu Okoye, and other suspects (now at large), allegedly invaded the family of Mr Emenike Okoye, at Mkporo-Ifite village in Ogbunike, beating him to stupor and killing his wife Nkiru.
She said she tried in the past to resolve the crisis in vain and sought interventions of governor Chukwuma Soludo; the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, through the State Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng; President Muhammadu Buhari; and non-governmental organisations to expedite action towards arrest, investigation and persecution of the culprits.
It was learnt that while Mr George has been arrested and currently cooling in a police station, the destination of his wife Uzonna, son, Somtochukwu and others remain unknown as at press time.
Corroborating this from his hospital bed at Isaac Chira Memorial Hospital and Maternity, Awkzu, Oyi Local Government Area, Mr Emenike Okoye, said he was at home on July 19, preparing for work, while his late wife (Nkiru) was preparing to travel home (Abba) for a meeting of Umuada (Daughters of her kindred in Abba), when his elder brother (George) led his wife (Uzonna) and their three children to his house around 6am to 8am and beat him and his wife for no reason.
“We did not do anything. I was preparing for work, my wife was preparing the children for school and to also travel home for a meeting of Umuada. George and his wife, Uzonna and their son, Somtochukwu and twin daughters invaded my house around 7am to 8am on July 19. They overpowered us, beat us to stupor, and left. Later when my children have gone to school, they returned with some persons and dangerous weapons, including axe.
“They dragged my wife outside the house, hit and killed her with axe and chair. She felled and died. When I resisted their move to drag me outside too, they broke my hand with an axe, dragged me outside; hitting me with the axe all over my body until I passed on. You can see the cut on my eyes. They left me thinking that I was also dead. But God helped me to woke up later. I reported the incident to our local vigilante and they drove me to hospital,” he narrated.
Emenike, whose five children – two boys and three girls were still between the ages of 3 and 11 years, while appealing for justice over the death of his 40-year-old wife, also sought the help of relevant authorities and interested individuals to relocate him to better hospital where he would fully recover.
On likely remote cause of the incident, Emenike said, “George right from when our mother (Mrs Adaoba Okoye) was alive, said he is our landlord. He is not our first born yet he claims ownership of the entire compound and always fight with all of us. My wife was not even married when this crisis started. And we had our three children abroad. He has reported us to the kindred severally and we won. Later, he started laying claims to the route to my house. The kindred told him to leave me alone too.”
Also speaking, some members of Ogbunike Daughters Association (Umuada Ogbunike), Mrs Nkechinyeru Nwoye, and Ms Ogochukwu Okoye, described the incident as abomination, adding that they have mandated the local vigilante and their brothers (male folks of the kindred) to double efforts towards bringing justice to Emenike and his late wife.
On his part, the younger brother of late Nkiru, Mr Chidiebele Okelue, said that people of Abba (Njikoka LGA), would never rest until justice is assured, even as he pleaded with the government to expedite action towards resolving the impasse.
Contacted, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO Tochukwu Ikenga, said he was aware, adding that investigation was ongoing to unravel circumstances surrounding the issue and bring the matter to justice.
