…as IGP orders re-investigation
Juliana Francis
 |
| Obinna |
The distraught parents of a 26-year-old graduate of the
University of Benin, Master Obinna Ezeugwu, who was allegedly abducted two years
ago in Benin City, have accused Edo State Police Command of shoddy investigation.
The parents, who started the frantic search for their son two
years ago, recently wrote a petition to the acting Inspector-General of Police
(IGP), Mohammed Adamu, intimating him of the incident and circumstances surround
the disappearance of Obinna.
Adamu has since ordered the Edo State Police Command to reopen the
case and carry out a thorough investigation. Adamu was said to have also instructed,
not only the Edo State Police Command, but also operatives of his Special
Intelligence Response Team (IRT), led by Abba Kyari to look into the case.
It was further gathered that following the IGP’s directive, crack
detectives have been assigned by Edo State Police Command to swing into action and
arrest those allegedly connected with the abduction of Obinna.
Since the disappearance of the young man, life had never been the same
for his parents. The lives of the parents and those of the family members
appeared to be on pause. They can neither go forward nor back, since they don’t
know whether their son is alive or dead.
Obinna’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ezeugwu while narrating their
plight, said: “Our son has been missing for about two years now. We promptly
reported the case to security agencies, but nothing had been done. All we
are saying is that Obinna should be located dead or alive. We want those that abducted
him, who are known as bad boys, to be arrested. It is painful for us to
go through this experience after suffering to train our well behaved son. We
pray that IGP Mohammed Adamu will wipe our tears and anguish because our hearts
will forever remain with this innocent boy of ours that was made to go through
this painful experience, the resultant effect we are yet to know.”
The Ezeugwu family in Amaekwuru, Amal village, Orba, Udenu Local
Government Area of Enugu State, represented by Sir Onah Uche Godwin, said that Obinna
went to his school on January 17, 2017, to carry out clearance for the
mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, but was abducted two
days after he got there.
According to the family, the police swung into action promptly and
even arrested some suspects. They were, however, not too happy when the police,
a few days after the arrest, allegedly began to act funny.
Godwin noted: “This was
clearly evidenced when in no time, the suspects were released under unclear
circumstances and the police in Benin blackmailed operatives of the Department
of State Security (DSS) from stepping into the matter. They neither went to the
house of the suspects to search for clues, that will help in giving useful
information nor did they bother to track phone numbers of the suspects and
Obinna. We were no longer in doubt that the police had compromised in the
case, unmindful of the fact that a human life was at stake.”
The family explained that on March 7, 2017, they decided to report
their plight to the then Inspector-General of Police with a firm belief that
the police in Benin would be called to order to do the needful, “but till date,
nothing had been done.”
According to sources, after the young man was abducted, a close
family female friend that lives close to the scene narrated to detectives what
she witnessed.
She reportedly told detectives that a group of boys well known in
the community, accosted Obinna and lured him out. When Obinna returned
some minutes later, he was behaving abnormally.
People just beginning to tell Obinna that he was acting funny,
when the same set of young men, who had earlier taken him away, returned and
whisked him away to unknown destination. That was the last time anyone saw
Obinna.
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