Posted by By Chris Anucha on
Who murdered Pamela Isamade, a 300 level Medical Laboratory Science student at the University of Benin(UNIBEN)?
Who murdered Pamela Isamade, a 300 level Medical Laboratory Science student at the University of Benin(UNIBEN)?
This is a question that is begging for answer even as the family has accused the police in Benin, Edo State of not being thorough in their investigations to unravel the circumstances surrounding the cold blooded murder of the lady.
Pamela, a native of Aboh in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State, was allegedly murdered by a cult group on March 22 and her body dumped in the bush.
The 19-year-old girl, who was on vacation, reportedly visited Benin to secure an accommodation preparatory to the resumption date.
She was said to have eventually got a house where she and two of her course mates packed in.
What must have gone amiss before her gruesome murder? Did she have any misunderstanding with anybody, which could have resulted in her death? There were more questions than answers.
"Yes, on that fateful day, she had a misunderstanding with her fellow student, who also lives in the building with her," Mr. Amaechi Okonkwo said.
A 500 level medical student of the same school had allegedly threatened to deal with her earlier in the day for embarrassing him in the presence of his girlfriend.
Pamela's room mate, Osarumi, who sells jewellery, was said to have invited a schoolmate and buy jewellery for his girlfriend.
The medical student and his girlfriend went into their room to negotiate the price of the jewellery.
"In the course of doing that, the boy sat on Pamela's bed but she told him that she never liked men sitting on her bed," Okonkwo said.
The boy, who didn't take such "embarrassment" lightly allegedly beat her up, tore her shirt forcefully and removed the weave-on she had on her head.
Pamela's room mates, however, succeeded in separating the fight, while the boy and his girlfriend walked away.
But two minutes later, the young man who appeared not satisfied with the action he had taken so far, came back and handed down a warning to Pamela to vacate the house within 24 hours or face the consequences.
Okonkwo explained that by the time he came back, Pamela had taken her bath, picked up her Bible to attend a crusade organised in the school by a Christian group. And that was the last time her room mates saw her.
"She couldn't come back from the crusade and her room mates were worried because she was not used to sleeping outside," he said.
After waiting in vain for her return for several days, her room mates contacted her family in Lagos. When her mother, Mrs. Patricia Isamade, arrived Benin, her daughter's room mates narrated how she had a scuffle with the boy prior to her untimely death.
All the initial efforts to meet Peron personally failed, as he reportedly abandoned his house.
Okonkwo explained that somebody later showed up and introduced himself as the caretaker of the hostel, assuring that he would produce the boy.
And when the boy eventually emerged from his hide-out, our source said Mrs. Isamade (in tears) asked him why he beat up her daughter and tore her shirt.
The suspect, at this point threatened to leave the place if that was why they invited him. Daly Sun learnt that it was when the woman knelt down, still in tears, that the boy opened up. He was said to have told her that his anger stemmed from the fact that her daughter insulted him in the presence of his girlfriend, but he later assured that her daughter would come back. But that was not to be. "The caretaker suggested that the two room mates should follow him. When they came back after a very long wait, they came without Pamela," Okonkwo said.
As the police were still carrying out their investigations, one of Pamela's neighbours came to report that he saw a decomposing body in the bush. The information devastated the mother who fainted and went into coma. Okonkwo said: "The two people that brought the information disappeared." The initial autopsy report indicated that she was killed through torture.
The major source of worry to the family now is that the police have not made efforts to arrest all those fingered in the murder.
Even though, the prime suspect is in police net, the family is calling for the arrest of other suspects.
The family also wondered why the police should charge the matter to court without concluding investigations or making attempt to arrest other people involved.