Nekede student, Alozie Njoku murdered by Uncle

30-year-old lady. Ada Njoku gave a heart- rending story of how her 26-year-old brother, Alozie Njoku, went mysteriously missing six months ago, only for his corpse to be recovered behind one of their relatives building at Umuchokoeze, Amaisii Uvuru community in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State.

The deceased, who was a final year student of co-operative economics and management at the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, was reported missing on May 18, 2018 while on vacation.

Narrating what happened, the sister said, “Anytime school is on vacation, he would do different menial jobs like bricklaying and commercial motorcycle business.

“The evening he went missing, his wife, Udodi Nwanna, said he came back home after work and said he would have his bath before eating. “While she was making the food, Alozie’s phone rang and, from the conversation, the caller asked him to come to his house with the money someone gave to him. After taking the call, he walked out of the house. He didn’t ride his motorbike and was still wearing his boxers and t- shirt, suggesting he wasn’t going far. It was obvious that there is no way he would have gone far dressed like that. “After serving his food, my sister- in- law, Udodi, went to her husband’s shop, leaving the house open as she thought that Alozie was within the neighbourhood.

 “However, when Udodi came back to the house from her husband’s shop and discovered the food she prepared and served Alozie was still untouched, and the house still open as when she left it, she was alarmed. Alozie’s phone and bike were still intact.

 “When Alozie hadn’t come back the next morning, we got worried and a search party was organized to search for him in all the places we knew he usually visited. “When the search for my brother wasn’t successful, my siblings and I decided to report to the police. But one of my uncles discouraged us from reporting to the police. He claimed that my brother had travelled out of the country to Malaysia to engage in money rituals. That was what he kept telling people.”

Ada said the situation remained like that with the police not informed till August 27 (three months later) when Alozie remains were found behind the house of the uncle who had discouraged the matter from being reported to law enforcement agencies. “It was his clothes that we used to recognise him. The remains were found by one Promise Amaefula who had gone to fetch firewood in a bush behind my uncle’s house”, she added.

Suspicion “When we discovered the corpse, it was clear that it had been suppressed by a chemical which was why the corpse didn’t smell and it decayed really fast. A day after the corpse was discovered, my uncle’s son allegedly gave a security operative in the village N200, 000 to give to the police to ensure that the mysterious death of my brother is not investigated. After we reported the case at the police station, my uncle and some people in the village conspired and forced my younger brother to sign an undertaking that we don’t want to pursue the case which is not true. We later discovered that all the time we were searching for Alozie, many people in our village had seen his decaying corpse inside the bush even while it was still fresh.

 “Since Promise Amaefula alerted the village of my brother’s corpse, my uncle has been threatening her and her husband. “The mysterious death of my brother and the inaction of my uncle and his sons are the reasons we want his death investigated so that justice will be done.

 “We are orphans. My siblings and I are still struggling to make ends meet. We are pleading with the Inspector General of Police to order the investigation of the murder of my brother and ensure that those responsible are brought to book”. It was learned that the case, which was initially reported at the Divisional Police Station, was later transferred to Zone 9 Command at Umuahia, Abia State for more detailed investigation. Also several persons were arrested.