News Release: Family Of Port Harcourt Bank Manager Allegedly Murdered By Policeman Petition Abia State House Of Assembly

Late Honesty Uchendu

Newspaper Report

No 6 Uchendu Road Umuda Isingwu

Umuahia North, Abia State.

14th May, 2012.

                                                                                

Honourable Members Of Abia State

House Of Assembly, Assembly Complex

Uumuahia.

 Sir,

Petition On The Brutal Murder Of My Brother By Sgt. Edem Etok (Mobile Police Man)

 My name is Henry Enyimba Uchendu and I hail from Umuda Isingwu in Umuahia North local government of Abia State. I wish to complain to the the distinguished respected members of Abia State house of Assembly to use their well respected office and ask the Nigerian police force, Rivers state command to investigate the murder of my brother properly and bring the murderers to book.

My brother late Mr. Honesty Uchendu was shot dead by gun men on his way home on the outskirts of the Rivers State capital on the 2nd of April, 2012. His killers took nothing from his car, thereby throwing up suspicion of assassination. The gunmen used their vehicle to force his car into a gutter and shot him dead.  

Main story:

My brother Mr.  Honesty Uchendu was a management staff of Afri bank in Port harcourt. His responsibility was to go round all the branches of the bank with escort cover of moblie police men on the bullion van to drop money he collected from Central bank in which the prime suspect Sgt. Edem Etok was the leader of the police men assigned to Afri bank garrison branch in Port harcourt. My late brother had several times complained to us how this police officer had openly comfronted him in the bank on the daily amount the bank pays to them after collecting money from the central bank. My brother told him several times that he is just a staff of the bank and he pays them what the management approves. He had on several occasion threatened my brother that he will deal with him and end his life which my brother did not take serious until he carried out the evil act with his friends and ended my brother’s life on his way home from the office.

Last week Thursday, Sgt. Edem Etok was brought in the presence of my family, the police investigating the matter, the bullion van driver including the bank manager. 

The following questions and answers ensured:

Police Investigator: Where were you on that faithful day he was killed?

Sgt. Edem Etok: I was in the church from 6am to 8pm

Police Investigator: You left your duty post for that long?

Sgt. Edem Etok: Why are they accusing me in the killings of their brother when am not a bank staff.

Police Investigator: Which church did you attend . What is the name of church?

Sgt. Edem Etok: Christ embassy

Police Investigator: Which satellite town and the branch?

Sgt. Edem Etok: em...... em.....

Police Investigator: What are the names of the police men attached under you ?

Sgt. Edem Etok:i dont know their names. Police just post people to you and i dont know their names.

Police Investigator: You dont know the names of police men attached to work with you? How old are u?

Sgt. Edem Etok: 45 years

Police Investigator: You are a big fool!!! I  dont want to embarass you in public take him back to the cell.

Furthermore, I want to put it clear now that it was very wrong to bring my family in the presence of their suspect. Our life is now in danger. Note that Sgt. Edem Etok said that he went to church that day but the bullion van driver said that he lied and that they all worked together. My brother was killed about 10.32pm that night. We were informed by reliable source that he arrived his home at about 11.18pm that night raising the suspicion that then he and his gun men had just finished the killing of my brother.

After critically analysis of all the incident, my lawyers said that Mr Edem Etok and his gunmen saw my brother as a problem. They were thinking he was cheating them. It was revealed that my brother when going to carry money from central bank to branches in Port harcourt takes just a policeman in the bullion van because the bullion van is a bulletproof and very safe from any attack by armed robbers.

In the past, he used to carry Sgt. Edem Etok and his boys to all the branches from central bank but when the new bullion van came, he carries them only when he wants to go out side Port harcourt like Eleme which Sgt. Edem Etok is angry about. My brother normally pays twelve thousand for each trip as allowance. Sgt. Edem Etok wants my brother to pay him and his boys all the money whether they follow him to any branch or not. As a result of this, they started planning how to kill him. They were thinking no  one will suspect them.  People will start suspecting bank staff that want his position or someone that took loan from the bank. That was why he carefully asked why is he been suspected to be the killer of  my brother when he is not a bank staff. Unknown to him, we all knew about all his threats,  to my brother’s life and how they both dont greet each other.

Police Investigations:

1.       The police men incharge of the case till this moment refused to print Sgt. Edem Etok Airtel (Gsm) call history. We all know very well that his two lines call history is very vital in this investigation, because the call history will show all the lines that called him and all the lines he called too. His call history will also show the locations and time of the calls. The police refused to go to airtel and ask for his call history. I went there personally and the airtel Senior staff said that the police are the only people authorised to ask them to print customers call history.

2.        

      The night my brother was shot, there was  big hole on the head which means the killers wanted him very very dead. The police men on patrol duty that night said that the person that shot him must be a force man. One of the bullets found in the car was identified to be a riffle bullet.

3.       That night after the killing the bullet ran through his head and protruded as a boil on part of his head. It was only the police that has custody of the body in the mortuary and is only them that can go there. Until last week friday when they transfered the body to my family . Two weeks after the autopsy was carried out, the doctor did not find a single bullet on his head. All had disappeared completely.

4.        

      If it was a civilian that did this, the police must have force him to confess. But as a police man, he is just relaxing in the cell and now people are comming for his bail.

Finally, I must say here that my brother was married and his wife was about nine months pregnant before he was killed and my aged parents could not bear this loss as it has psychologically affected them completely. We want justice as I am ready to pursue this case to the end. Killers of my brother should face the law else they will continue to kill innocent citizens especially like my brother whom was a graduate of university of port harcourt and a masters degree holder with a prospering banking career. I attach here a photocopy of my late brother’s picture and a copy of the Sun newspaper report about the matter. (The Sun of 4th April, 2012). My family, my lawyers and general public shall be very grateful if my petition is given a quick and favourable attention.

Your’s Faithfully,

Henry E. Uchendu

Cc: Executive Governor of Abia State

       Chairman Senate commitee on police affairs

       Chairman house of Reps. commitee on police affairs

       Hon. Senator Justina Nkechi Nwoagu (Rep. Abia Central)

       Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo- Iwuala

       Hon. Usman Bello Kumo

       Dr mrs Okoroh B. O. (commitee secretary)

       Hon. Udo Oluchi Ibeji (Rep. Umuahia North/South Constituency)

       Speaker Abia State house of Assembly

       Hon. Emeka Ejiogu     (Rep. Ohuhu constituency)

       HRM Eze Uzoukwu Obule (Ngwu111 of Isingwu)

       Barr. Edwin Odunze Osuagwu