Riddles over lady who died in DPO’s office

Date: 19-06-2012 6:55 am (11 years ago) | Author: Paddy Hayes
- at 19-06-2012 06:55 AM (11 years ago)
(m)
• Tears, anguish as victim is buried
• DPO, other key witnesses transferred
• Family, friends accuse police of frustrating investigation

Photo:Sun News Publishing
Princess Zainab
By: HENRY UMAHI
Date: Fri, 05/18/2012 - 12:45



It was a deluge of tears, palpable anguish and visible anger as the remains of former beauty queen, businesswoman and politician, Princess Zainab Chinasa Uwakwe, were committed to mother earth on Saturday, May 5 at her home, Ndi Ulo compound, Amakpo autonomous community, Igbere, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.

From far and near, family members, friends and sympathizers came to bid a final farewell to a lady whose sun set at noon, at the unripe age of 39. Weeping in the valley of tears, they cursed those who caused her death few months before she tied the nuptial knot with her heartthrob. Zainab died on October 5, 2010 in controversial circumstances. She died in the office of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr Kabir A. Ishaq, a Superintendent of Police (SP), at Cameroun Road Police Barracks, Aba, Abia State.

Investigations revealed that since October 2010 till she was buried, nobody has been docked for her death. Sources close to the late Mazi Peter Uwakwe family alleged that apart from the plot to sweep the incident under the carpet, the grieving family went through a harrowing experience to obtain a burial permit from police authorities before the interment. Several times, the burial date was changed due to the uncooperative attitude of the police. The development had caused the poor health of her mother to degenerate terribly even as her nine-year old daughter has been asking when her mother would come back.

In an elaborate report by Saturday Sun on October 22, 2011, Zainab’s younger sister, Favour Nkechi Peter, had disclosed that the DPO, in whose office the lady died, had been transferred to Katsina State. She also alleged that other officers, who were at the police station when the incident happened had been transferred to other police formations.

It was gathered that since the said publication, police officers at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, have been harassing and taunting the Uwakwe family for telling their story to the press. An officer in the legal department was overheard boasting: “Princess Zainab’s people think we are afraid of the press. Let the press people come and force us to take action on the case file. In fact, since they have gone to the press, we will sit on the file for a long time and nothing will happen. The matter will be under investigation till eternity.” Well, it was not an empty boast, as the police seem to have abandoned the matter.

Recalling the incident of the day Princess died, agony stricken Favour said when she returned from work that day at about 6.00pm and her sister was not yet at home, she made efforts to reach her, as the deceased rarely stayed out beyond that time of the day.

Favour said: “I called her telephone numbers some minutes after 6.00 pm, to know what was keeping her from coming home, but she didn’t pick her calls. After some minutes, I called her again, but got no answers. I then remembered that she left home with a cousin of ours, Mr. Nkem Igbokwe, in a car. I called him to ask what was keeping them and where they were.

“Nkem said that he was in the car waiting for aunty to come out, referring to our big sister, Princess Zainab. I asked him where they were and he said that they were at the Police Station on Cameroun Road, Aba. He said that they came to see the DPO. I asked Nkem what took them there and he said that after they came out from a political meeting, because she was aspiring to contest the Abia State House of Assembly election to represent Aba North State Constituency, and on their way home, she received a call from someone who said that he was having some problems at the police station. The caller, who she probably knew, told her that the DPO was proving too difficult to release him and all that. The caller urged her to come there and use her influence to talk to the DPO.

“According to Nkem, she then directed him to head to the police station but before getting there, she had to call the DPO first because the DPO had been asking her to see him for a long time, saying there was something he had to talk about with her. Zainab had previously told me that the DPO wanted to see her but that she didn’t know why he wanted to see her.

“On that day, when she called the DPO, he said there was a case that needed her attention. So, she told him that she was coming. When they got to the police station, she met a police officer at the DPO’s reception and told him that she wanted to see the DPO. The officer told her to wait because the DPO was with some people in his private office. She said she could not wait because she needed to go home, having been exhausted for the day. So, she called the DPO on phone and told him that she was around. The DPO came out of his office to welcome her and invited her in. As they were about entering his office, she told the DPO that her cousin (Nkem) was outside. The DPO then told Nkem to give them some minutes, saying that my sister would be right back. My sister then told him to wait for her in car and assured him that she would be out shortly.

“When Nkem waited for about an hour without seeing her, he called her phone but she did not pick her calls. Nkem thought that they were still busy and wondered what it was that was keeping her there because it was unusual for big sister to be in a particular office for that long. As Nkem was waiting and wondering what could be happening, I called him to know where they were and he told me that he was still waiting for her inside the car at the police station. I told him to leave the car and enter the DPO’s office to know what was still keeping her. When Nkem got there, even the police officer at the reception wasn’t there anymore. He knocked at the DPO’s office, but there was no response and he came out. Then some police officers from the other section came to him and asked him if he was looking for anybody. He told them that he was looking for his cousin that he came there with.”

Twists and turns Favour added: “Nkem said that they asked him if he was related to the lady that came in and he said yes. Nkem said that they then asked for his phone number and he asked them what they wanted to do with his phone number. He told them to show him where his sister was, so that they could go home. After some arguments, he released his number to them. On getting back to the car to continue waiting, he received a call from an anonymous caller who told him to come to New Era Hospital, Aba, where his sister had been rushed to because she was very sick. He asked the caller what kind of sickness he was talking about and he told Nkem that she took excessive alcohol. Nkem again wondered how she could have taken excessive alcohol, especially as she was fasting that day and was supposed to see the DPO briefly and come out because she was exhausted. According to him, all these questions were running through his mind.”

Half Nood The family later found her at the hospital unconscious and half naked. Her skirt was soaked in blood while her pant was missing. Curiously, she was registered as Nene Udah at the hospital. Favour said she interrogated the hospital staff about the state of her sister. “I asked the doctors and nurses how come she was half naked; they said that they took off her top and bra and put on the fan so that it could revive her. She was on a drip as well. I asked how many drips had she taken and they said that she was on the third. I asked how could she be on the third drip between two and three hours interval. I asked if they did any medical examination on her before administering any treatment and they said no. They said that based on what they were told that she took alcohol, they gave her some injections and pints of drip.

“Then I started looking closely at my elder sister and saw that her neck was swollen with visible marks, just like when someone is slapped on the face and the finger marks appeared. I called the attention of the other people there to see what I was seeing. She was still groaning, totally unconscious; if anyone was there she never knew. And her tongue was in-between her teeth. The inevitable question is, what happened to her neck to make it swollen? Yes, she was plump but I knew the size of her neck. So, if anything happened to her, one could tell.

“When some of my siblings left, I stayed behind so that if she woke up she could see someone around. They left between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. and I was alone with her. The nurses were coming to check on her after which they left. Some minutes later, she stopped groaning and I called the attention of a nurse. The nurse came in, checked on her and went to call the doctor. The doctor came in, checked her and confirmed her dead.”

Missing underpant Favour added: “I couldn’t believe it. I was holding her in my hand and I never knew that she had passed on. I only knew that she had stopped groaning. After the doctor confirmed her dead, I called my people and they rushed back to the hospital that night. We looked her over and saw that her skirt was soaked with blood. This was a fully-grown woman, a businesswoman and well respected in society. How could she be in that state? She was my elder sister; we shared a lot of things in common and lived in the same house. So, I lifted her skirt and found out that her pant was not there. How come her pant was not there? The nurses said that they did not know. She was in a pool of blood. That was when I raised the alarm that this could be rape.”

Offering further insights into the matter, she volunteered: “Meanwhile, the DPO that my sister came to see, switched off her phones. Why did he switch off her telephones when they were ringing? When my people went to see him and asked him why he switched off Princess’ telephones, he said that the telephones were making a hell of a noise. Okay, somebody came to your office and you said that the person fell sick, why didn’t you pick her calls because it might be her family calling or search through her phone and call her relatives or even go and call the person she came with who was waiting in the car? You never let the person she came with know what was happening, instead you took her out through another gate to the hospital.”

Police in the mix Favour accused the police of trying to frame her sister up, saying that hard drugs were planted in her bag to make her a criminal even as her personal effects, including telephones, gold jewellery and even slippers were stolen. Thereafter, the matter was taken to Abuja without the knowledge of the family and the police have been dilly-dallying over it.

The Uwakwes have been seeking justice to no avail. They have written series of petitions through their lawyer, Akwuete Charles & Co to different persons and organisations for assistance on the matter without much success.


via Daily Sun

http://sunnewsonline.com/national/article/riddles-over-lady-who-died-dpo%E2%80%99s-office


Posted: at 19-06-2012 06:55 AM (11 years ago) | Gistmaniac
- jossy4reall at 19-06-2012 07:24 AM (11 years ago)
(m)
so sad...but a very bad image 4rm naija police force

Posted: at 19-06-2012 07:24 AM (11 years ago) | Hero
Reply

fire TRENDING GISTS fire

TODAY'S TOP
  1. See Remarkable Transformation Of Nigerian Couple That Wows Many

  2. World Cup Kiss Scandal: Disgraced Spanish FA Chief, Luis Rubiales Facing 2.5 Years In Prison

  3. BREAKING: Military Declares Professor, Woman, Others Wanted Over Soldiers’ Killing In Delta

  4. Comedian, Seyi Law And Wife Celebrate 13th Wedding Anniversary With Romantic Photos

  5. VIDEO: Actress, Toyin Abraham Reunites With Senior Collogue, Bukky Wright

  6. Adesua Etomi Pens Romantic Birthday Message To Husband, Banky W On His Birthday

  7. Labour Party Offers Peter Obi 2027 Presidential Ticket Unopposed

  8. Pres. Tinubu Offers Slain Soldiers’ Children Scholarships

  9. Proud Father Of 5 Daughters Hails Natural Skin Color Of His Daughter Without Glowing Cream

  10. Air Peace Boss, Onyeoma Says Earning N200k Salary In Nigeria Is Better Than £2000 In The UK

  11. Popular Gospel Singer, Dunsin Oyekan Allegedly Engages Lover Secretly, Set To Remarry

  12. "He Slept With My Girlfriend" – KWAM 1 Ex-Drummer Kunle Ayanlowo Continues To Drag Him

  13. How Police Neutralise Two Notorious Bandits In Benue

  14. Police Arrest Witch Doctor, 25 Others Linked To Snatching Of 79 Cars In Rivers

  15. Two Killed As Police Engage In Gun Battle With Notorious Bandits

  16. “Two Broke People Dating Should Be A Crime” – Cynthia Morgan Claims

  17. Rescued Kaduna Schoolchildren To Reunite With Families Today


THIS WEEK
  1. Russia President Putin Shocks Many As He Announces That Jesus And Mary Were Black

  2. Ex Chelsea Star, Geremi Njitap Files For Divorce After DNA Reveal He Isn't Father Of Their Twin

  3. VIDEO: Nigerian-Born UFC Fighter, Israel Adesanya Launches Real Estates Business In New Zealand

  4. Netizens React To Influencer, Enioluwa’s Alleged Leaked S*x Tape

  5. "He Must Have Range Rover, Benz, BMW, At Least ₦100m” - Lady Sets Standards For Suitors (Video)

  6. Kim Kardashian Finally Opens Up On Why She Divorced Kanye West

  7. “Stay Clear Of Verydarkman Matter” – Samklef Issues Warning To Davido

  8. 'Nigeria Will Be Consumed If Kanu Dies In Custody' – IPOB Warns

  9. Selena Gomez Shares Sexy Photo As She Put On A Very BUsty Display

  10. Man Videos Himself Taking His Own Life on Facebook Because His Girlfriend Cheated on Him


TOP MEMBERS: