Christopher Okoroafor Ukaegbu, an Aba based artisan who lives at Abanwa Street, New Umuahia Road, Ogbor Hill, Aba, has pleaded with the Abia State Panel of Enquiry on Police brutality, extra-judicial killings and other related matters to prevail on the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba to release the body of his nephew, Ikenna Friday, who he alleged was shot and killed by a soldier four years ago while carrying his lawful trade as a butcher at Ogbor Hill Waterside in Aba.
He said the family could not afford the N350,000 being demanded by the Teaching Hospital before the remains of Friday could be released for burial.
Ukaegbu, who made the plea while testifying before the Panel headed by Sunday Imo (a retired Chief Judge of Abia State) further alleged that a Nigerian soldier shot and killed his nephew Ikenna Friday, a butcher at Waterside Ogbor Hill, Aba on May 5, 2016, while the solider went to buy Indian hemp near the area.
According to him, one Oluchi Egbendu called him at about 3:00 pm on that fateful day to report the ugly incident; adding that colleagues and neighbours of late Ikenna Friday were carrying his corpse around Enyimba city on a peaceful demonstration.
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“I went in search of the crowd and accosted them around Bata Axis of Aba, and promptly identified the corpse as my nephew. It was at this point that Police officers appeared on the scene and sprayed tear-gas to disperse the crowd; and thereafter took the remains of late Ikenna Friday to Abia State University Teaching Hospital mortuary, Aba. After two weeks, we visited the Police Area Command, Aba to demand the release of my nephew’s body, in order to lay him to rest. We were meant to understand during the visit that the trigger happy soldier that shot late Ikenna Friday is now in Police custody, stressing that Police was investigating the matter,” Ukegbu narrated.
He further disclosed that when they came back later to demand the release of his nephew’s body for burial, all fell on deaf ears. They took the case to their traditional ruler, Eze Eberechi Dick who immediately wrote a letter to the Commander, 14 Military Brigade Ohafia, and till date, no response has come from the Army command.
Ukaegbu said after waiting a while, Eze Dick wrote another letter of reminder, still, nothing was heard from the Army; adding that at that juncture, his family took their case to the Abia State Attorney-general and Commissioner for Justice, who stepped into the matter.
He said the State Commissioner of Police directed the Area command, Aba to do the needful. Ukaegbu reported that the Police Area command then advised the Abia State University Teaching Hospital to release the corpse, but the Hospital insisted that this could only be possible when the mortuary bill of N350,000 had been paid to the hospital.
