Posted by From Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja on
Proceedings at the commission of inquiry investigating the murder of six Apo Village traders in Abuja, yesterday took another twist, when a witness, younger brother to Ifeanyi Ozor, one of the victims, Elvis Raphael Ozor, told the panel that the car in which the victms were at the time of the incident belonged to a lawmaker in the Adamawa State House of Assembly.
N70,000 victim's money missing
Proceedings at the commission of inquiry investigating the murder of six Apo Village traders in Abuja, yesterday took another twist, when a witness, younger brother to Ifeanyi Ozor, one of the victims, Elvis Raphael Ozor, told the panel that the car in which the victms were at the time of the incident belonged to a lawmaker in the Adamawa State House of Assembly.
Testifying under oath, Elvis said his late brother had on him N70,000, being part of the money given to him for the repair of the car when he was killed.
He said 'on June 6, the legislator, Honourable Abubakar Abdullahi, who resides at Gimbya Street, Area 11, Garki, (the vicinity where the killing took place), aproached his elder brother, seeking to effect some repairs on his vehicle, a Peoguot 406 saloon car.
'After discussing the details of the repair, including prices of spare parts and other items needed for the repair, Elvis and late Ifeanyi wrote out reciepts for the cost of the work amounting to N150,000, and gave to the lawmaker who promptly gave them the money.
'An agreement was drawn, which we all signed," he said.
Elvis said Abdullahi advised them that they should not use the number plate of the House of Assembly on the car for security reasons, and to avoid police harrasment.
Led in evidence by the counsel representing the deceased trader's families, Mr Amobi Nzelu, Elvis said his brother split the money and gave him N80,000 to buy some of the items, while he kept the remaining N70,000.
In what could best be described as the theatre of the absurd, the witness said Ifeanyi was still having the N70,000 with him in the car when they met their untimely death in the hands of the police.
The witness tendered photo copies of the receipts and the agreement before the panel.
Before the latest twist, three other witnesses and relations of the deceased traders, Cyril Okoli and Mrs Monica Araegbu, had in their separate pleas, asked the commission to compel the police to release the bodies of the victims to their families for proper burial.
In an emotional outburst, Mrs Araegbu, mother of the only female victim, recounted that her daughter, late Augustina Araegbu, aged 22 years, had finished Secondary School and was awaiting her result just before life was snuffed out of her.
Her narration aroused great emotion, when she said she had earleir lost her husband and that she was finding it difficult coping with the children's school fees.
The woman said the only thing she wants the commission to do is to ensure that justice is done to those who conspired to kill her daughter. "All I ask of government is that justice should prevails."
The killers of my daughter should not be allowed to go scot-free," she said.
She and Okoli also joined other relations of the victims in demanding for a compensation to the tune of N100 million. They said the Police should not exume the dead bodies, but that they should be made to bear the expenses of conveying them, as well as other burial expenses.
Though the commission have not given indication as to who may be summoned next, THISDAY gathered that apart from former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Danjuma Ibrahim, the legislator may also be contacted to testify.
Nzelu had earlier prayed the commission to grant the release of the corpses of the dead traders, so that their families can take them to their respective homes for burial.
In a motion brought before the panel as a replacement for an earleir one on Monday, Nzelu sought the commssion's assistance in getting all the Police personnel involved in the killing of the traders to come and show where they kept the victims' corpses.