By ERIC IKWUAGWU.
Following the sad and unfortunate killing of Onyedikachi Nwogu right in front of his house in Umuokpo Umuokoro village of Obingwa LGA of Abia State, we were shocked to read a statement attributed to the Akwa Ibom State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Mr Samuel Fadeyi, seeking to absolve the Command and the suspected murderer, NSCDC Officer Robinson Otobong, of blame.
According to Commander Fadeyi, who apparently was not at the scene of the crime and has not bothered to visit the scene to date, the deceased died as a result of a gunshot wound sustained when struggling to disarm the officer who was on a security escort with two Chinese expatriates.
The statement from Fadeyi reminds one of another incident on the 15th of April, 2020, involving another NCDC officer who shot and killed a bus driver conveying tomatoes at Umuikaa, Isiala Ngwa South LGA axis of Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway which was also attributed to accidental discharge as a result of the dead person struggling for the gun of the NSCDC officer. This position was taken by NSCDC regardless of the fact that photographs taken from the scene of the killing showed the deceased seated behind the steering wheel of his car where he was shot. Nobody from NSCDC has been able to explain how a man sitting behind the wheel of his car could be struggling for the rifle of an NSCDC official. Was the gun pointed at the late citizen from close range inside his car? If yes, men of the NSCDC should be immediately disarmed nationally for inability to use firearms properly.
“Sensing danger of harm to himself and abduction or harm of his principals, Robinson retreated but they surged at him with their cutlasses and shovels so much so that he had to fire a warning shot. The shot did not deter them as they rushed him with sticks, machetes and shovels, trying to disarm him.
“It was in the ensuing struggle that a second shot was fired and the leader of the mob who grabbed the nozzle of the gun was shot. At the time, the driver who had seen the hostility and heard the gunshots had manoeuvred the Hilux to Robinson to leave the scene with the expatriates but Robinson took compassion on the shot hoodlum and in a bid to save him he carried him into the Hilux and sped off in search of a hospital. Wogu was however pronounced dead on arrival, unfortunately.” Fadeyi tried to explain.
What Mr Fadeyi never told the press was that the late Nwogu was killed right inside his father’s compound. What exactly were the NSCDC official and the Chinese expatriates with him doing inside the compound of late Nwogu? Is the family compound part of the long-abandoned Aba-Ikot Ekpene federal highway, and will Fadeyi accept for anyone to turn his father’s compound into a public vehicle thoroughfare?
It is important to note that while the federal government who are the employers of Fadeyi and the contractors have failed to reconstruct the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Highway after many failed promises, Abia State Government constructed an alternative route to Akwa Ibom State through Ekwereazu-Nto Edino Road. Commuters between the states have been using that road without let or hindrance but the NSCDC official and his charge chose to violate other people’s private properties because they believe they can shoot their way through and expect to be absolved by their Commander.
The NSCDC Commander is well advised to wait for the outcome of police investigations before passing off second-hand information as fact. Trespass of private property is on its own a criminal offence known to Nigerian laws and the unconscionably fabricated story of grabbing the nozzle of a gun would be tested by investigators who will simply look at the bullet wound to determine what truly happened. There is evidence that, at least, three shots were fired by Officer Otobong with one hitting the deceased in the leg while the other hit his stomach. Fadeyi should better prepare a defence for that, otherwise, it would be seen that he deliberately sent his men to murder Nwogu because, according to him, “the notoriety of this area is well known”.
Our people will continue to insist on justice for the dead Nwogu and will not allow the antics of NSCDC to obfuscate the truth in any way.
