Barring any last minute change in arrangement, the
office of Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) will
be conducting an autopsy/DNA test on a corpse said to
have been dismembered beyond identification, allegedly
seen in Abuja on the 12th of May, 2016 and identified by
Lagos lawyer, Emeka Ugwuonye as that of the missing
Abuja woman, Charity Aiyedogbon.
This is part of the steps in unravelling the mystery
behind the sudden disappearance of ‘’Chacha’’, as she is
fondly called.
When conducted, it will put to rest the controversy over
the actual identity of the lifeless body, guide the Police
in its investigations, confirm Ugwuonye’s claims or
deflate his ego and ultimately guide the public, earlier
fed with unsubstantiated reports of alleged murder of
the missing woman by her ex-husband, David
Aiyedogbon.
The dismembered body came into the picture, when
Ugwuonye displayed same on Facebook, alleging that it
was that of Chacha, directly accusing her ex-husband,
David Aiyedogbon of having a hand in her alleged death.
Hear Ugwuonye:
“I now have overwhelming evidence that Mr. David
Aiyedogbon killed his wife, Chacha. David has an idea of
the kind of evidence at my disposal.”
In another post on his Facebook group, Due Process
Advocate (DPA), Ugwuonye said: This is the headless
and dismembered body of Charity Aiyedogbon (posting a
corpse on his Facebook handle). DPA has been able to
identify this as her body within the limits of resources at
our disposal. This body was discovered by school
children on May 12, 2016, by accident in a remote area of
Abuja, but which is close to Gwarimpa. The body was
dumped at the spot, presumably over the night. DPA
contact and resources had pursued the trace as to how
the body was disposed. We are fairly comfortable with
the information we have.”
Anyone that read the above posts will assume that there
were some substance in the claim; considering the
certainty with which it was made. Unfortunately, there is
nothing suggesting credibility in same.
First, the missing woman has four grown-up (educated)
children and none of them has identified the corpse as
that of their mother. Her ex-husband of twenty-six
years, David Aiyedogbon also never identified same as
that of his ex-wife. Chacha’s parents are alive and her
four siblings are going about their normal businesses.
None of them has identified the corpse as hers. In fact,
as at the time of filing this report, no member of her
nuclear or extended family, not even the Police, have
seen the corpse paraded on social media by Mr.
Ugwuonye, not to talk of identifying same as that of the
missing woman.
Following his (Ugwuonye’s) claims at the Police Station
that one of the suspects, Jo, whom he earlier claimed
was his client, identified the corpse as that of Chacha,
the Police re-invited him (Jo- who was on bail). Upon
arrival at the station, Jo denied him. First, he came with
his lawyer, saying he neither briefed nor consulted
Emeka Ugwuonye as his lawyer. Second, he denied ever
seeing or identifying the corpse to anyone, including
Ugwuonye, insisting that he only saw the said corpse on
Facebook, just like many others.
Now, how did the dismembered body come about? How
did Ugwuonye come into this and what was his interest?
He claims not to have met with the missing Chacha ever
before, yet he is able to identify her dismembered body
in death? On countless times, he declared the woman
dead, even when her children said she is not. Till date,
he has not provided any single evidence to the Police to
substantiate his claims? Now without evidence, how do
you declare a missing person dead? Without a DNA test
and/or physical recognition by relatives, how do you
identify a corpse? Is this what Harvard University, United
States of America (that trained Ugwuonye) teaches in its
law faculty?
The puzzle of the actual identity of the corpse
Ugwuonye will show the Police this week will be solved
in the coming days, and I wonder where he will stand if
it is confirmed not to be Chacha’s body.
Meanwhile, the first puzzle was solved earlier, following
the admission by one of Chacha’s lawyers, Barrister
Nsikak Udo that Chacha’s signature was forged. He
admitted that he lied on oath and his fate shall be
determined by the laws of the land.
Barrister Nsikak Udo, handling a fresh suit filed by
Chacha at the Federal High Court, Lokoja on 29th April,
2016 against 29 respondents, including her biological
children and her former husband claimed she (Chacha)
came to his house on the 18th of May, 2016 (eight days
after her purported disappearance) and one of his staff
accompanied her to Federal High Court, Abuja to sign
and depose to an affidavit in support of the ex-parte
motion filed along with the case. A case of perjury and
forgery appears to have been established.
Now, Chacha’s last post before she ‘went missing’
shows that she sat on the passenger’s seat of her car.
That was the last she posted on Facebook, using that
particular User ID- Deepdealdehammer. The question is:
who drove her in the car and where were they going?
Today, that car has been recovered, following a tip-off
by one of the suspects in Police custody, IK Ezeugo. IK
never opened up until Police arrested one of Jekwu’s
friends, who now gave the lead, indicating that he (IK)
personally drove the vehicle to the place where it was
parked. His (IK’s) younger brother, identified as Paul
Chukwujekwu Ezeugo (still at large) is believed to have
been in custody of the vehicle. He (Chukwujekwu) is
also believed to have driven the missing woman on that
last trip. The car was found somewhere in Enugu State
by men of the Nigerian Police, in the residence of one
Uche, with its Plate Number and particulars already
changed.
Again, Chacha’s two handsets have been recovered. One
of them, a Nokia handset, is said to have been found
with Chukwujekwu’s biological mother, Mrs. Ezeugo,
believed to also be a guest of the Nigerian Police
presently. The second handset (a Samsung Handset)
was recovered from one Augustine, who claimed that
one Odinaka, Chukwujekwu’s friend and phone repairer
sold it to him for Twenty Five Thousand Naira. The
proceeds, according to Odinaka, were handed over to
Chukwujekwu. Just like the vehicle, the both handsets
were found in Enugu. Now, where is Chukwujekwu? Is he
in the country or has he fled Nigeria, as is being
speculated?
One is forced to ask: is it a coincidence that almost all
the persons arrested/suspected so far in connection
with Chacha’s case are from Enugu State? Precisely, six
suspects so far arrested in the case are from Enugu
State. Chukwujekwu Ezeugo (at large) is also from
Enugu.
Emeka Ugwuonye is from Enugu and Chacha’s car and
handsets were found in Enugu. Chacha’s maternal home
is Enugu. In fact, Paul Chukwujekwu Ezeugo and the
missing Chacha’s mother are both from Oba-Nsukka, in
Enugu State. Could her disappearance be an Enugu
agenda?
More worrisome is the fact that the Police have kept
Nigerians in the dark regarding their findings so far.
While I agree that it may be premature to disclose
certain sensitive findings on the matter, it is a tactical
error to remain mum, while charlatans continue to
mislead and divert the attention of Nigerians from the
real issues. The least I expect is that after the DNA test,
the Police should address Nigerians on the status of
their investigation on Chacha’s case, while waiting for
the Courts to resume before they can charge those that
have questions to answer. But, why has Paul
Chukwujekwu Ezeugo not been declared wanted by the
Police, if they feel strongly that he has questions to
answer and is on the run?
At the risk of sounding judgemental, Emeka Ugwuonye
has questions to answer on missing Chacha’s case and
no one can convince me to the contrary. He claimed to
have been in the United States as at the time of
Chacha’s disappearance and only came into Nigeria in
June, 2016, after being briefed to handle the matter, but
his call log betrayed him, showing that he was in Abuja
on the 10th, 11th and 12th of May, 2016; same time
Chacha is said to have got missing. Was he there to
supervise her disappearance?
Also, he has a very suspicious relationship with one of
the prime suspects, Chukwujekwu Ezeugo, popularly
called Jekwu (still at large) and his call log shows a lot
about it. He is also suspected to have aided his escape,
as, according to Police sources, the day he (Jekwu) was
to be picked up by the Police, Ugwuonye personally
called the Police, promising to produce him, only to
revert 24hours later, telling the Police that he had
escaped. There are lots and lots of questions for
Ugwuonye to answer.
Meanwhile, understanding how bad the matter is
getting, Ugwuonye recently played a card, announcing
his withdrawal from Chacha’s case, a move Police
sources described as diversionary, since he is already a
suspect in the case.
A school of thought holds that his earlier accusation of
the ex-husband of the missing woman, David
Aiyedogbon was aimed at diverting the attention of the
Police from focussing on the actual persons, believed to
be close to him.
Reports say Ugwuonye has appealed to lawyers to David
Aiyedogbon not to sue him for defamation of character,
promising to apologise publicly. But, was he not given
time to apologise earlier and he refused, or is my
memory failing me? Mr. Aiyedogbon, a retired Civil
Servant earlier wrote his accuser-Ugwuonye, through his
lawyers, demanding an apology, failure which he would
seek legal redress. He refused to utilize the window.
Why now?
The letter titled: “Defamation of the character of David
Aiyedogbon; demand for apology,” signed by his lawyer,
Barrister Tony Ogbulafor and made available to
newsmen, expressly states: “It is our instruction to
demand an unqualified apology from you to our client
through our chambers for the defamatory publications
you have made of and concerning our client.”
But, are the latest appeals to Mr. Aiyedogbon’s lawyers
not to sue him and the Police not to make him an
accused in the matter helpful? What about the Police
officer, whom he wrongly accused of receiving bribe from
a lawyer (in an envelope) to detain him and the lawyer
himself, who have vowed to institute legal actions
against him? Anyway, let him continue to beg; he might
be lucky and they forgive him. But how does he tell his
members in DPA, whom he has consistently fed with
falsehood?
Chacha’s case is getting more interesting. While we
await the outcome of the DNA test, there is no doubt
that those in possession of Chacha’s car and handsets
have something to tell the world about her whereabouts;
or is her disappearance a set-up or another Nollywood
movie?
Only time shall tell!
[By Destiny Ugorji]
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