Christopher Okoroafor Ukaegbu, an Aba-based artisan who lives at Abaenwa Street, New Umuahia Road, Ogbor Hill Aba, has pleaded with the Abia State Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality, Extra-Judicial Killings and Other Related Matters to prevail on the Abia State Teaching Hospital, Aba to release the body of his nephew, Ikenna Friday who was allegedly shot dead by a soldier four years ago while carrying out his lawful business as a butcher at Ogbor Hill Waterside, Aba.
He told the Panel that the family could not afford the N350,000 being demanded by the Teaching Hospital before the remains of Friday could be released.
Ukaegbu, who made the plea while testifying before the Panel headed by Sunday Imo, a retired Chief Judge of Abia State, further alleged that a Nigerian solider shot and killed his nephew Friday, May 5, 2016.
According to him, one Oluchi Egbendu called him at about 3pm on that fateful day to report the ugly incident, adding that colleagues and neighbours of the late Friday were carrying his corpse around Enyimba City on a peaceful demonstration.
“I went in search of the crowd and accosted them around Bata axis Aba, and promptly identified the corpse as my nephew’s. It was at this point that police officers appeared on the scene and sprayed tear-gas to disperse the crowd and thereafter, took the remains of the late Friday to Abia State University Teaching Hospital Mortuary, Aba,” he said.
According to him, “After two weeks, we visited the Police Area Command, Aba to demand for the release of my nephew’s corpse in order to lay him to rest. We were meant to understand during the visit that the trigger-happy solider that shot the late Ikenna Friday was now in police custody and that the Police were investigating the matter.”
Ukaegbu reported that the Area Command later advised Abia State Teaching Hospital to release the corpse, but the hospital insisted that the release could only be possible when the mortuary bill of N350,000 had been paid to the hospital.
“Since we don’t have that kind of money, the late Ikenna Friday has not been interred for over four years now,” he said.
He prayed the Judicial Panel of Inquiry to: “Mandate Abia State University Teaching Hospital to release the remains of the late Ikenna Friday, as they do not have funds to settle the mortuary bills.
“The sum of N50 million be paid to the siblings of late Ikenna Friday for their upkeep.”
Twice, the respondent has failed to appear before the Judicial Panel of Inquiry.
