PRESS STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF AMALGAMATED NGBOEJEOGU YOUTH ON THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE PROSECUTION OF THOSE ARRESTED FOR THE MURDER OF MR. ELOM CHINONSO (OSCAR)
In the evening of 5th February 2023, Mr. Elom Chinonso (Oscar) was gruesomely shot and killed in his shop along Umuogudu Akpu Road, Ngbo in Ohaukwu Local Govt Area. According to eye-witness account, five persons in a Sienna Bus branded with the name and logo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came to Oscar’s shop and wanted to drag Oscar into the vehicle but he refused and in the struggle that ensued between him and the assailants, one of them pulled out a gun and shot Oscar on the head. He screamed for help and fell down. The assailant shot him again and he died on the spot. After killing him, the five suspects entered the same vehicle they came with and drove away. Later in the night of the same day, the police came and evacuated the corpse to the mortuary.
1. In the morning of 6th February 2023, youths of Ngboejeogu staged a peaceful protest against the killing of Oscar and took their protest around Ndulo Ngbo, Okwor Ngbo market, Ngbo Court Area and came to Grace Garden and Events Center, Amoffia Road Ngbo. I addressed the youths and pleaded with them to calm down. I made the promise to them that myself, my office and the organization I lead in Ngbo known as Amalgamated Ngboejeogu Youth will do everything within our reach to ensure that justice is done in the matter. Our resolve to pursue justice for Oscar was strengthened by the fact that our discrete investigation revealed that he was not a cultist and has never been linked to any crime.
2. In fulfilment of that promise and in accordance with the Resolution of Ngbo people during a solemn assembly held in Obodo Akpu, Umuogudu Akpu Ngbo in response to the murder of Oscar, we followed up the investigation of the matter by the police until four suspects who were arrested in connection with the matter were charged to court. It is important to state that the two persons from Ngbo were easily handed over to the police within two days of the murder whereas it took more than one week before the prime suspect from Ezzangbo was handed over to the police. It also took another one month with high financial expenses borne by the family of Oscar and our team before the second suspect from Ezzangbo was tracked and arrested while the 3rd suspect from Ezzangbo is still on the run till date.
3. The four suspects who were charged to court are; Elom Anthony a.k.a Tidy (From Ezzangbo), Onwe Chibueze a.k.a Chiefoo (from Ngbo), Ugah Chukwuemeka a.k.a Parity (from Ngbo) and Odono Uchenna from Ezzangbo. According to eye witness account as disclosed in the police case file and court papers, the remaining suspect who is still on the run is one *Onwe Thankgod* from Ezzangbo.
4. Oscar was killed at the peak of political campaigns for the 2023 general elections and in order to prevent revenge killing which may lead the entire Ohaukwu into serious crisis, the Amalgamated Ngboejeogu Youth issued a directive withdrawing all Ngboejeogu Youth from political campaigns during that time. The youths of Ngbo obeyed that directive and stopped all political campaigns for their candidates irrespective of the political party until the elders took a decision that the perpetrators of the crime must be arrested and prosecuted. It was when arrests have been made and the political leaders pleaded with the youths that justice must be done in the matter that the withdrawal of Ngbo youths from political campaigns was lifted. Thereafter, we had a peaceful campaign and election in the entire Ohaukwu Local Government Area for the 2023 General Elections.
5. In fulfillment of the promise I made to Ngbo youths, my office and other lawyers of Goodwill from Ngbo diligently followed the prosecution of the matter. We undertook huge financial expenses which made it possible for the Charge (Information) to be filed in the court and necessary logistics provided for the commencement of trial. Eye witnesses were produced in court and they testified on how Oscar was unjustly killed.
6. In the course of the prosecution of the case in court, some people approached the father of Oscar and made him to collect some money in connection with the case. The father of Oscar also signed a document for them. However, when the father of Oscar testified in the court as the first witness, he told the court that he collected money meant to assist him in the burial of his son and to support his family. He told the court that the document he signed was to acknowledge that he received the money but not that the case should be withdrawn from court. The document was tendered in court by the Ngbo lawyer defending the suspects and after arguments on whether the court should accept the document as a withdrawal of the case or not, the document was rejected by the court and that is why the case continued in the court till date.
7. It is the same document which was tendered in court and was rejected by the judge that some people took to the ministry of justice to convince the office of the Honourable Attorney General of Ebonyi State to use his powers under the Nigeria Constitution to withdraw the case.
8. In view of the persistent political pressure for the withdrawal of the case based on the document rejected by the court, the father of Oscar wrote a letter dated 6/8/2024, addressed to the Honourable Attorney General of Ebonyi State, informing the Commissioner that Oscar’s father has no intention to withdraw the case from court and that he has testified in court in the matter. Oscar’s father officially withdrew the earlier letter he was made to sign wherein it was claimed that he wanted to withdraw the case. Oscar’s father also deposed an affidavit in the High Court of Ebonyi State and attached his passport informing the Honourable Attorney General to disregard the earlier letter credited to him on the purported withdrawal.
9. The Honourable Attorney General of Ebonyi State had a meeting with both parties in this case in his office on 6/8/2024. We attended the meeting on the invitation of the Honourable Attorney General. During the meeting, Oscar’s father told the Honourable Attorney General and all of us in the meeting that he was deceived to sign the first document purporting that he wanted to withdraw the matter. At the end of the meeting, the Honourable Attorney General referred the matter back home for final decision and that his office should be communicated of the outcome within two weeks.
10. Let me state it very clearly that the case is being prosecuted by the Ebonyi State Ministry of justice while some Ngbo lawyers and my office are holding a Watching Brief for Oscar’s family to ensure that justice is done. We have no reason to doubt the capability of the Ebonyi State Ministry of justice to prosecute the matter. They have done excellently well and the prosecution have closed their case. It is for the defendants to defend themselves in the matter but instead of defending themselves, some politicians are now running from pillar to post carrying around some money to influence decisions so that the case will be withdrawn.
11. The major challenge in the case is political influence and I cannot guaranty that the outcome of the political influence will be in the overall interest of Ngbo . The present administration of Ebonyi State under Governor Nwifuru have not been interfering with judicial process. The incumbent Governor has shown commitment to the rule of law. It is some elements in his government who cannot distinguish between the former administration and the present one that are giving a wrong impression about the government concerning the matter. We are of the view that the court should be allowed to do justice in the matter. The beautiful thing is that after the court decision in a criminal.matter, the Governor has the right to grant state pardon and set a convict free if he wishes.
12. We have participated in series of meetings held in Abakaliki, Ezzangbo and Ngbo on this matter and we have been consistent in our demand for justice to Oscar according to law. We will continue to maintain that stand without looking at faces.
13. We call on all Ngbo youths to remain resolute in pressing for justice in this matter. Let every youth eschew violence or unwarranted attacks on our leaders. We still have prominent leaders in Ngbo who support you on this case and we hope that those who strayed away from the yearnings of Ngbo people will think twice and retrace their steps.
14. The case is currently adjourned to September for defence. The court is an open and public place where anybody can come in and quietly observe the proceedings.
We thank all Ngboejeogu youths who have sacrificed time and resources in the struggle for justice to Oscar. We also thank our leaders who have been courageous to stand with the youths for justice in this matter. We will continue to give periodic updates in the matter as the need arises but anybody is free to attend court and observe the proceedings first hand .
Justice4Oscar✊🏻
God Bless Ngboejeogu.
