Inconsolable Anambra family after kid dies in police custody

Inconsolable Anambra family after kid dies in police custody

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Family members of Chidubem Ezenwa, a 24-year-old businessman from Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area, and a resident of Delta State, lost hope when he passed while in police custody last month.

Ezenwa was arrested on a charge of cultism, which his friends allege was completely made up, and he passed away in the prison cell.

He was allegedly involved in a fight with other prisoners in the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) police cell in Awkuzu, where he was also fatally beaten by prisoners who were already on trial for a previous murder they had committed.

Given the preventable events that followed Chidubem’s death, the circumstances that led to it were even more tragic for him.

Justice is being demanded by his family, but his father still thinks that his son is alive because the police have refused to show him his son’s body.

Mr. Sunday, Chidubem’s father, described the events leading up to his son’s passing during a visit to his compound.

Chidubem Ezenwa, my son, is a businessman in Asaba, Delta State, the guy claimed. In addition to selling phone accessories, he also recharges phones and provides other cable TV services. In Asaba, he has a store.

His friend Chukwunonso Udezue called him three weeks earlier to inform him that their common acquaintance Chiboy had been injured in a motorcycle accident. He sent his pal N50,000 so that he may get medical care. They called him once more later to inform him that his friend’s condition was not getting better. He left his house and went to visit him at the hospital.

“When his friend passed away, he had already worked out a new hospital with the doctor. Due to their proximity and in order to prevent trauma, my son and his friends were advised not to accompany them to the mortuary. To wait, they went to the Angel Hotel.

My kid always sleeps at the Angel Hotel when he returns home. As you can see, I don’t own a home. My kid prefers to stay in a hotel when he returns home because this one is already falling. He has already promised to get us out of here and build a house for us.

They were in the hotel when one of them cracked a bottle while discussing the passing of their friend. When the hotel administration objected, they subsequently paid for the bottle, but the community’s president general, Barr Ifeanyi Iloakasia, phoned the police and had them detained; as a result, he passed away.

“Until now, we haven’t heard anything about our kid, and the police haven’t given us access to his body, even though we assume he’s already passed away. We are unable to accept the loss of our son. If he is deceased, they ought to give us access to his body.

Chukwunonso Udezue, Chidubem’s companion, who broke the bottle that led to their detention, also described the tragic end to his friend’s life.

“I called my friend Chidubem to let him know that our friend Chiboy, who was in an accident, was not getting better,” he stated. At first, he informed me that he would not return home because his business required his focus. I was shocked when he subsequently returned home because he had earlier provided money for therapy.

“Our friend Chiboy later passed away, and we, his companions, including Chidubem, were told to leave the hospital to prevent trauma while he was being transported to the mortuary.

“We traveled to the Angel Hotel while grieving and I mentioned to Chidubem how unfortunate it was that Chiboy, who was constantly in the hotel with us, had passed away. I became irate while we were drinking and shattered a few empty bottles. We began to receive harassment from the hotel management, who said that we would scare away his clients.

Chidubem begged him and compensated for the broken bottles. Later, he informed us that he was unhappy and that he was heading to Asaba. He got on a bike and rode off toward the auto park. Barr Ifeanyi Iloakasia, President General of the Aguleri Community, was present in the hotel, but we were unaware of this. To come and take us into custody, he contacted the police. In order to inform Chidubem of the most recent development before the police arrived, we called him. Chidubem then returned and informed the police that he had paid for the shattered bottles.

“As soon as they saw him (Chidubem), the police officers grabbed him and began beating him. He kept screaming as the DPO of Otuocha Police Station repeatedly kicked him in the chest. You can see the wounds on my legs from the police officers’ violent treatment of me. Then they transported us to SARS (RRS), Awkuzu after taking us to the police station.

He described how other prisoners battered them in the cell until Chidubem handed them N4,000, despite the fact that Chidubem was already feeling weak from his injury.

I had to stay up all night to fan Chidubem since the cell was too crowded and he wasn’t feeling well. Later that evening, he began screaming in need of water. We urged other prisoners to give us water so we could return it to them the next morning when we bought our own, but they refused.

He stole a drink from another prisoner and consumed it. When they began hitting him, he passed out and was transferred to the hospital outside of the cell. It is what we are aware of.

Father of Chidubem, Mr. Sunday Ezenwa, told Opagnews that police officials had not informed the family of their son’s fate since the event.

He attributed his problems to the community’s president general, claiming that his kid would still be alive if he hadn’t called the police.

“My son’s death is beyond my comprehension. The person who offered to build me a house and transport me away from here is my only hope. They ought to simply hand over my son to me, wherever he may be. He claimed, “He is not dead.

In response to the tragedy, angry family members of the deceased—mostly local women—organized a demonstration against the President General.

They pleaded with him to return their brother, arguing that he had committed no crimes that warranted for him to be turned over to the authorities.

Rolling on the barren ground, the demonstrators sobbing while holding placards lamented the loss of the 24-year-old, whom they claimed represented the family’s best hope.

In an interview with Opagnews, Barr Ifeanyi Iloakasia, the President General of the Aguleri community, provided a different account of what transpired.

He insisted that he was not involved in the incident and that he just contacted the Anambra Vigilante Services (AVG) after Chidubem and his pals broke bottles in the hotel and began following many individuals around.

“That day, I was at the hotel. These boys were seen chasing guests around and destroying bottles. Even the hotel manager, who attempted to stop them, was threatened with violence. There were several other people in the hotel that day, and anyone might have called the police; I did not do so.

“I was there for a conference, but after seeing the amount of violence, my partners got in their cars and left. I contacted our town’s security, which is overseen by a member of Chidubem’s family who hails from the same hamlet. I wouldn’t have phoned their own brother if I had malicious intentions. However, when the police arrived, the DPO informed us that the youngster and his pals were taken because they were on the police’s wanted list for involvement in a cult. Is that somehow my fault?

“I’m aware that someone is trying to hurt me by accusing them that I killed their son. I am aware of the individual who has been sending me threats, and I have also noticed suspicious activity around my family’s and my own compounds.

Iloakasia responded, “What I know is that the boy is dead. I was asked if the boy was still alive and what he was doing to help him return, either dead or living as his subject.

“The cops said he was dead and was currently at the mortuary. His parents want to think that I kept him somewhere to perform rituals with him rather than accepting the fact that he is dead. That is absurd.

Regarding the body’s release, I am aware that the police will do it if they ask for it. I can do it because he is my subject, but since they choose to falsely charge me, I have chosen to completely avoid the situation.

The Anambra State Police command was aware of the situation, according to DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, the command’s spokesman.

The Command is saddened by this situation, he declared. The defendants who beat up Chidubem were being held in custody for a case including murder, kidnapping, and robbery.

“While they were being held on murder-related charges, they committed a second homicide. The suspects now face yet another murder accusation from the command. They were presented in court at Otuocha High Court.