Date Published: 05/25/09
Another Horrible Murder Going Unsolved
by Norris Benedict
Early this year, Pointblanknews a foreign based online medium hit the waves with tales of how the wife of the Vanguard Newspapers Publisher, Mrs. Oyindamola Amuka participated actively in the beheading of a 14 year old boy at Ikorodu, Lagos for supposed ritual purposes.
The news raised a lot of eyebrows at the time as the prolific news outfit backed up its exposures with gory pictures of the woman in her full occult regalia which were fully accessible on their website at the time.
Mr. Steve Chinua, an investigative journalist was identified as the whistle blower who captured the incident on his camera lens and the man actually came forward to justify and lay claim to the puzzle he intended to convince the world with.
The Nigerian Police were alleged to be the first point of call for Mr. Chinua who on witnessing this tragic event immediately called them to investigate and prosecute the accomplices in the crime. The Police actually arrested the woman and in handcuffs she was held pending further confirmatory investigations.
As often would be, the Nigerian Police in alleged connivance with Mr. Sam Amuka the Vanguard Publisher made a bold attempt to sweep the issue under the carpet after N4 million allegedly changed hands with senior cops in the Lagos Police command. It was at this point that Mr. Chinua in league with his lawyer Aig Gabriel Giwa Amu contacted Pointblank with his story and pieces of evidence.
All sorts of blackmail and intimidation were deployed against the whistle blower and his lawyer by those directly involved in the callous murder when a platform besides the Police Force was provided by Pointblank for the exposures to be made and brought before the public.
Mr. Chinua was branded a dubious journalist of questionable character, he was declared wanted by the Police for trying to blackmail Mrs. Amuka with the pictures for the purposes of extorting colossal amounts of money from her; I remember a picture of Chinua put up on the Vanguard Newspapers which portrayed the man as a wretched, hungry and unkempt journalist.
Mr. Chinua was subsequently arrested and arraigned on extortion charges so also his lawyer Mr. Giwa Amu who was arraigned on a six count charge of providing false information to the Inspector General of Police in addition to publishing defamatory matters.
However, this piece has not being articulated for the purpose of taking undue sides and does not intend to get involved or patronise the unfortunate legal and media brickbats that is currently going on between the three parties. At its best, the current exchange will serve the purpose of taking away our collective attention from the grave crime committed, hence reducing the possibilities of justice being obtained for the poor boy and his family.
The fact remains that a horrible murder for ritual purposes has being carried out which has snuffed out a young promising life; all and sundry should be involved in calling for justice for the boy and his unknown family who are probably ‘nobodies’ in a nation where justice is granted on a cash and carry basis.
Pointblank news in a manner that underlines the seriousness and grave implications of this shear heartlessness, has gone a step further to publish more pictures of the gory scenes on its Friday the 22 nd of May 2009 edition.
The latest pictures whose sight I wouldn’t recommend for the fainthearted contain views of Mrs. Amuka holding the hypnotized boy from behind before he is killed. Other pictures reveal the boys headless torso, his head lying on the floor and the woman holding out her hands with an ‘earthen pot’ placed on it.
In other climes where the sanctity of human life is fully upheld by the relevant government institutions responsible, such clearly visible pictures are more than enough pieces of evidence to kick start serious investigations, but the Nigerian authorities are much involved in other frivolous trivialities to be bothered about such tragic happenings.
Some say a good number of them are involved in such wickedness and wouldn’t rock the boat on which they too sail if they must keep their offices.
It is the duty of Nigerians to make the relevant level of noise required to prevent this and other similar atrocities from being swept under or suppressed by the unrepentant accomplices who are always emboldened by the various range of undetected crime they commit.
It would be wise if Pointblank news goes a step further in this fight for justice by drafting a petition that can be assessed and signed by all on different sites and eventually collating and forwarding same to the Nigerian President and most importantly relevant NGO’s and United Nation Agencies.
This gory episode shouldn’t go unsolved; the Inspector General of Police, Federal Attorney General and Information/Communications Minister should be forthcoming in aiding this justice.
But can they be bothered!
