27th March, 2022
The Anike Community in Onicha Igboeze of Ebonyi has pledged to assist the police in their investigation to unmask the killers of 35-year-old lady native, Miss Nnenna Onu.
The Chairman of the community, Mr. Phillip Nwankwo, made the pledge while reacting to the gruesome murder of the lady by yet-to-be-identified assailants.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakiliki on Sunday, Nwankwor described the incident as barbaric.
He called on the people of the community to join hands with the police and other relevant security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the crime from the community.
He said: “The act is purely an evil against our community and we condemn it in totality.
“On our side as a community, we have already made a pronouncement and incantations against the persons that have hand in the killing of our daughter.
“We believe and hope that our tradition will not allow them to go unpunished.
“I promise that I am ready to support the police in finding the killers.”
Meanwhile, the Ebonyi Police Command said it had commenced investigations into the incident, which happened on Dec. 23, 2021.
The command’s Spokesperson, DSP Loveth Odah, said the police investigating team had visited the scene but no arrest had so far been made.
“The police have commenced clinical investigation into the matter.
“What delayed the investigation and arrest before now was that the family failed to make an official report to the command when the incident happened.
“Well, the family told us that the failure to report the matter on time was due to the threats to them by their relatives should they report to the police.
“Right now, we are on top of the matter and the Police Commissioner, Mr. Aliyu Garba, has pledged to get to its root.
“We have visited the scene and we will continue to follow up until the perpetrators are brought to book,” Odah said.
Nnenna, a graduate of Public Administration, Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, was murdered in her Amagu Village, Ndiagu-Anike, Onicha Igboeze, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
Her assailants severed her left leg before setting her and her belongings ablaze behind her late father’s house.
She was burned beyond recognition.
However, the deceased younger sister, Mrs. Juliet Onu, also appealed to Gov. Dave Umahi and all the security agencies in the state to help her family to apprehend Nnenna’s killers and bring them to justice.
Narrating the circumstances surrounding Nnenna’s death, Juliet feared that her late sister could have been murdered over her efforts to recover their family inheritance after their father’s death.
Juliet alleged that their inheritance was taken away after the death of their father many years ago, followed by the “mysterious death” of all their male siblings.
“After the death of our father and brothers, Nnenna and I have been struggling to survive with our poor mother.
“When I got married, I left, leaving Nnenna alone with our mother.
“Today, my mother cannot go to farm because she has been deprived of ownership of any property after our father’s death.
“Now, she cannot go to the village because they do not want her alive.
“She has been living with me and my husband in Abakaliki, the state capital.
“We were expecting her to visit us during the Christmas celebration but we did not see her.
“On Christmas day, my husband traveled to the village to check on her only to find out that she had been murdered.
“We want justice for our family, especially my mother, who is a widow.
“We also call on religious leaders, civil society organizations, and well-meaning individuals for assistance,” Juliet said.