By Gideon Njoku
Outrage has greeted the horrendous murder of an Owerri-based lawyer in his office located in the state capital. Shock has gripped his heartbroken colleagues. And so has fear gripped the state capital.
The lawyer, N.H.Nwankwo had left for work on Saturday. His office is located on No 43 School road, Owerri.
He went to work with his driver. When he did not return on Friday, frantic calls were made to him by his family. But there were no connections. The family then called the Chairman of the NBA, Imo State, J.I. Ogamba to relate their experience.
Ogamba acted urgently, and sent Chinedu Agu, the Secretary of the NBA , Owerri, to go and check out what was wrong.
Before then, Nwankwo’s office neighbour, Ishmael Nkwocha, had already, in response, to calls, rushed to the office. The door was locked, but he noticed a ” splashes of blood” by the door, and called in the Police.
Along with other lawyers, the Police forced open the office, and there was his gruesomely, butchered body.
He was machetted while still working on his computer.
A machete was found in his rest room. And so was a bucket of water with which the Police suspect the assailants used to wash their hands. Blood, some already congealed, spluttered everywhere, including the roof and fan.
It is not yet known when he was murdered. Perhaps, on Saturday, since he did not go back home on Saturday.
The surprise: His driver, with whom he went to work had disappeared. And so were his car and phones. He is at large.
Following is the full text of the first statement on Nwankwo’s murder as issued by the NBA, Owerri
FROM THE SECRETARIAT OF NBA OWERRI.
N.H NWANKWO, ESQ. MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD!
At about 8.15am today on my way to Church for 8.30am Mass, I received a call from the Chairman of the Bar, J.I Ogamba, Esq. detailing me to liaise with the former Secretary of the Bar, Ishmael Nkwocha Esq., to take Police to N.H Nwankwo & Co. at 43 School Road Owerri, to ascertain the safety of N.H Nwankwo, Esq. who left home for work yesterday Saturday the 6th day of February, 2021 and was yet to return from work.
However, earlier to the call, Ishmael Nkwocha, who shares same office space with him had, in response to frantic calls from his family members over the uncertainty of his whereabouts, gone to his office to meet same locked.
On opening the Entrance door, he met Nwankwo’s main office locked and with traces of blood on the door to his (Nwankwo’s) office.
Not very sure of the situation, he went to the Homicide Section of the State CID, going with him Forensic Experts from the Police Headquarters to the office to have it properly opened by themselves in order not to contaminate evidential materials.
When the forensic experts arrived at 9:56hrs with their gadgets, they opened the door only for us to find his bulky frame lying lifeless inside his office in a pool of his congealed blood.
On a closer inspection, Nwankwo appeared to have been savagely matchetted by his Assailant, as a very gaping cut was seen on his neck, a monstrous cut of not less than of about 30cm with only about less than 50percent of the flesh in his neck region holding the head.
Blood splashes were seen on the roof, fans, Printer, Computers, table, files, seats, books, bookshelves inside his office suggestive of a ferocious matchetting of his neck.
Nwankwo was suspected to have been busy working as his Printer, Computer, Standing Fan were on while a writing pad containing jottings unrelated to this incident and a Pen were found on his Desk.
A bucket of water was seen in his office, with which the Assailant must have washed his hands and Matchet used in this act.
A search of the office revealed a Matchet abandoned inside the Toilet of his office with which the Assialant was suspected to have used to cut his neck.
When his body which lay half prostrate was turned matchet cuts were seen on his Wrist also and the footprints captured by forensic experts suggested the act was done by two persons as the two footprints were unidentical.
As at the time of this Provisional report, Forensic Experts are still gathering evidential materials for their use accompanied by myself, L.C Ugorji, Uche Osuji, Ishmael Nkwocha, J.I Ogamba, D.O Nosike and a host of other Lawyers.
Meanwhile, his Driver, who reportedly was the only person with him in the office on Saturday, is at the time of this report at large, with Nwankwo’s phones, and Car no where to be found.
Arrangement has just been concluded to take the lifeless body to the Morgue.
This is one death too many; one murder too savage!
Chinedu Agu
Secretary,
NBA Owerri
(The Heartland Bar)
07.02.2021
11:43hrs.
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