Posted by By Udede Jim on
Delay can turn to denial. This is the fear expressed by the family of late Chief Friday Kanam Nwigbarato, who was murdered in cold blood in his hometown, Zaakpon in Khana LGA on 26th March 2005.
Delay can turn to denial. This is the fear expressed by the family of late Chief Friday Kanam Nwigbarato, who was murdered in cold blood in his hometown, Zaakpon in Khana LGA on 26th March 2005.
One hundred and thirty-seven days after that dastardly act, the police has not still released the findings of their investigations which they say are continuing.
According to Evangelist A. K. Nwigbarato, the family is deeply worried that this matter could stay unresolved up till now, in spite of the circumstances of the crime and the swift intervention by the State Government, which announced immediate investigations into the incident and its desire to prosecute anyone found culpable.
He expressed shock that one of the principal suspects, Mr. Jacob Deezua, who was the principal of Government Secondary School, Kpite in Tai LGA, has stayed away from the police, refusing to yield to any summons by the law enforcement agencies on the matter.
In his opinion, there appears to be a collaboration somewhere along the line to sweep the matter under the carpet but Evang. Nwigbarato, who holds very fond memories of his late uncle stressed the desire of the slain community leader's relations to seek justice wherever necessary.
In their efforts to get the root of the matter, he told Telegraph how the family petitioned the police authorities over the delay but were instead invited to Abuja in June over threat to life claim by Mr. Jacob Deezua, whom they allege has a deadly gang of boys as his guards.
"When we honoured the police invitation in the office of the O/C, Homicide in Abuja, we saw for the first time Jacob Deezua who has hitherto refused to appear before the police in Port Harcourt", explained Nwigbarato relation.
So far, after several appearances before various law enforcement agents by members of the deceased family, an end does not appear in sight to the investigations and this predicament is traumatic and agonizing to the entire Nwigbarato family who suspect that there may indeed be plans to frustrate efforts to bring the perpetrators of the murder and their sponsors to book.
While Evangelist Nwigbarato lauded the police for the beginning of prosecution against suspects in the case file numbers: PMC/933c/2005 and PMC/1103c/2005, he urged them to conclude investigations into the matter so that the true state of events as connecting the prime suspect, Jacob Deezua, Menekpa I of Zaakpon will be made clear.
He also informed that the documents members of the family signed in Abuja was an affirmation to allow the police to thoroughly investigate the established murder case, pleading that it would not help the expected return of peace and orderly communal living in Bua-Zaakpon for anyone to engage in deliberate falsification of obvious facts in the murder of their father, uncle and mentor, Chief F. K. D. Nwigbarato.