Tension mounts at the University town of Nsukka, Enugu
state, following last week’s gruesome killing of a female
classroom teacher at about 200 meters to her residence
while returning from the state capital where she attended
the swearing- in ceremony of newly appointed
commissioners in the state.
Crime Guard gathered that the teacher identified as Princess
Uzoamaka Onyishi, nee Ugwuokwor, 40 , hailed from Mbu -
Akpoti in Isi- Uzo local government area of the state. She
had accompanied one of her relations , Mrs. Eze, to attend
the swearing-in ceremony of her husband, Mr M.E Eze, who
was appointed Attorney -General and Commissioner for
Justice in the state, only to be assailed by unknown
gunmen, very close to her Uwani-Ugwu residence in Nsukka
metropolis.Investigations revealed that
Princess Onyishi drove herself to Enugu, venue of the ceremony in company of her Kano- based sister, Mrs Ndidiamaka Nnaji, to attend the ceremony.Reports said
that soon after the ceremony, both of them cruised in a blue -coloured Toyota Corolla of the deceased back home. It was
gathered that after she had dropped her sister at the family house along Ogurugu road in Nsukka, picked up her cousin,
Miss Jacinta Okwor, who stays with her and headed to her residence at Uwani- Ugwu, tragedy struck. She was shot
dead by two unknown gunmen.
The attack Eyewitness account said the two gunmen ambushed the
princess at a flooded spot on the pretext that their motor cycle had problem along the lonely road around 8.30 pm.
Reports said the unsuspecting Princess fell victim to the bullets of her assailants as she tried to offer help by
directing her head lamp towards the passable side of the road only for one of them to point gun at her and without
demanding anything from her, pulled the trigger and shattered her skull. The assailants fled under the cover of darkness. Visit to son at the campus
Further investigations revealed that the deceased who is the daughter of late Igwe Gabriel Ugwuokwor, the traditional
ruler of Mbu Akpoti, a neighbouring community in the area
and mother of five children, also visited her first son,
Chidera Onyishi, a first year student at the Department of
Political Science, at the University campus, unknown to the
boy that it was the last he will see her mother. With the joy
of the swearing in celebration, the deceased was reportedly
singing songs of praises that their relation and close
acquaintance had been elevated as a commissioner only for
her to be assailed by yet -to -be identified gunmen.
Visit to the family house
When Crime Guard visited the family house at Ogurugu
road, members of the family wore gloomy faces, wailing
and confused over the fate that befell them. Her elder sister,
Uzoamaka. Nnaemeka Ugwuokwor, told Crime Guard
amidst tears that the entire family has been thrown into
confusion by the killing of their sister.
According to her, ‘’My sister just returned from Enugu where
she attended the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed
commissioners. One of our relations was amongst them. On
arrival at Nsukka, she drove to the family house to see our
mother, Lolo Josephine Ugwuokwor. When she was through
with her, she went to see her son at the campus. As she
was just driving into her house later, she met two young
men carrying a motor cycle, trying to manoeuvre their way
in the flooded area of the road. When she tried to evade the
young man dragging the motor bike, another young man
emerged from the bush, pointed gun at her and shot her,
straight on the forehead. She died on the spot. Before she
met her untimely death, she was teaching at Urban Boys
Secondary school, Nsukka. She was the kind that hardly
could hurt a fly. What prompted her killing still remains a
mystery to the family that just buried their father, Igwe
Gabriel Ugwuokwor. She was driving herself when the
incident happened. She never joined politics for one day.
Her only business in politics was to attend the swearing-in
ceremony of the newly appointed commissioner. The
incident has been reported to Nsukka police division who
promptly responded to the call put across to them when she
was shot. Both the police and some clergy men assisted in
taken her to Bishop Shanahan mortuary where her corpse
was deposited. Presently, the matter has been transferred to
Enugu state police headquarters. The gruesome killing of
our sister has taken the family to a devastating point of
agony, mourning, confusion and pity. She is the most
endearing in the hearts of members of the family. She was
humble, amiable and loving to the people that interacted
with her. We are not suspecting any person for now,. Our
only prayer is for God to bring out the killers of our sister.
She was a mother of five, two boys and three girls. The first
is a first year student at UNN, the second will be writing the
post UME, the third is in SS 3, the fourth is in SS 1 while the
last one is in primary five.
Appeal to the police
“We look up to the police to unearth the circumstances
surrounding the wicked killing of our sister. We believe the
police will stand to the challenge to fish out perpetrators of
the heinous crime and bring them to book. We are equally
appealing to the general public to assist us in our moment of
grief to give information, if any, about the killing. We cry for
help from any quarter to assist us fish out those that
assailed our sister to death. We have sent messages across
to various communities within Nsukka and beyond to report
any suspected person to the nearest police station in
connection with the killing. It was pure assassination as the
killers never demanded anything from her, neither her car
key, nor cash, nothing whatsoever.
Mother reacts
Amidst tears, Lolo Josephine Ugwuokwor, 55, the mother of
the deceased managed to speak with Crime Guard. She
narrated her unbearable traumatic ordeal ‘’ The killers of my
daughter will never go unpunished. It is too painful to me
that my daughter was carelessly killed by unknown gunmen.
I am appealing to the police to investigate and arrest her
killers with the fear of God. We have reported to our
community and everybody is waiting for the outcome of
police investigation. I spoke with her immediately she
returned from Enugu unknown to me that it was the last to
speak with her before she went to UNN to see her son,
Chidera.
Eye witness account
The lady who was with the deceased when the ugly incident
happened, Jacinta Okwor, narrated their travail. “ I was in
the vehicle with her when the people emerged and shot her.
The two men demanded nothing from her, only pointed gun
and shot her instantly. When she was shot, she fell on my
laps. I did not know she was dead. When the two men left, I
started calling her to wake up for us to go, unknown to me
that she was dead. As my efforts to wake her failed, I took
the bush part and ran to a house not too far from the scene
and informed her husband that aunty has been shot dead
just now. The killers did not demand anything from her. I
sat with her in the front seat. It was a horrible experience. I
have not recovered from the trauma. The cloth I wore that
faithful day is still soaked with the blood of my aunty. God
will never forgive her killers. I am an apprentice tailor under
my sister’s care but now they have killed her. One of the
two men was dragging motor cycle and she flashed light to
help him only for another to emerge from the bush and shot
her, point blank without uttering a word to her.”
Husband laments
Husband to the fair- complexioned princess, Sunday
Onyishi, 57, lamented the circumstances that surrounded
the gruesome murder of his wife. “The whole thing still
sound strange to me. I still could not believe that my wife
was killed like a common thief. We have been married for
the past 22 years and blessed with five children.
I am a transporter. Nobody has ever complained to me that
she had problem with her. I don’t know why she was killed.
When my sister in- law rushed to me and broke the news of
her death, I rushed shouting, neighbours joined me, we
combed the entire place but could not see the killers. Then
we invited the police to see what happened. I am not
suspecting anybody but the killers of my wife will definitely
be brought to book. We moved in into our own building five
months ago. Her killers did not allow her enjoy the house
she laboured for all these years of hardship. I want the
police to unearth the surroundings of her killing by faceless
two young men,” he stated amidst tears.
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