There was pandemonium in Rumuche on Thursday over the whereabouts of a 21-year-old commercial motorcycle rider, Mr. Progress Onuekwa, who was feared to have been killed in Rumuokani village in Ogbakiri Community, Emohua, Rivers State.Two communities, Rumuokani and Rumuche had been at loggerheads, following the sudden disappearance of Onuekwa.
Some residents of Rumuche believe he was killed by Rumuokani youths to avenge the murder of their brother by unknown assailants.
Southern City News learnt that the people of Rumuche community began to express fear after waiting endlessly for their son to return after taking two passengers to a village in Ogbakiri community.
The victim’s father, Mr. Mbadiwe Onuekwa, said his son had been murdered by youths of Rumuokani, adding that a member of Rumuokani village had hinted him about the development. He said the family was only interested in retrieving the corpse of their son.
On May 7, 2015, one Mr. Daniel Odike, an indigene of Rumuokani in Ogbakiri, was murdered at his duty post at the Emohua Council Secretariat, even as the people of Rumuokani accused the people of Rumuche of being responsible for his murder.
Angry over the death of their kinsman, youths from Rumuokani in Ogbakiri, stormed the council secretariat and allegedly destroyed property there. The protesters subsequently threatened to avenge the death of their brother.
However, the intervention of the immediate past caretaker committee chairman of Emohua Local Government Area, Mr. Nnamdi Abah, reduced the tension that was building up in Rumuche and Ogbakiri.
Sympathisers outside Onuekwa’s compound. Photo: Amobi Owhondah
The father of the missing commercial motorcyclist, Onuekwa, said, “Progress left the house on Friday May 22. He did not return, which was unusual. When I asked his sister where he was, she told me that Progress had not yet come back.
“I was surprised that Progress had not returned home at that time. He had never stayed outside till such time. I had to call his telephone number to find out where he was, but his number indicated that it was switched off. I took my motorcycle and went to one of his friends.
“I went to the Emohua junction around 11pm but I did not see him.”
“In the morning, I had to call my relatives to tell them my son was missing.
“I went to Rumuji Police Station to make an entry with the police on the development. As I was coming back, my daughter called me that an okada rider from our village came to tell them that he saw Progress carrying two passengers to Ogbakiri around 6:30 pm.
“He said that he (the okada man) told Progress to come back in time because it was getting dark. He said Progress promised not to waste time; that he would return as soon as he dropped his passengers. But till now, we have not seen him,” Onuekwa lamented.
Mother of the missing man, Mrs. Cordelia Onuekwa, however, called on relevant non-governmental organisations to demand for justice on the matter.
“I have been in pain ever since my son went missing. I have been restless, I have not been eating or sleeping. My son is a quiet boy that does not like trouble. He believes in hustling on his own to make ends meet.
“He learnt glass work and he has been running around to get money to buy tools for his trade, which is why he started riding okada.
“I can’t bear the pain. These evil boys have plucked out my eyes. My son promised me that he would give me N5,000 to mark Mothers’ Day celebration coming up this Sunday. But now they have captured and killed him.”
“I need help from the human rights organisations and women NGOs to ensure that justice is made to this pain that these youths have done to me,” Mrs. Onuekwa said.
However, a relative of the Rumuokani indigene earlier murdered, Mr. Chinedu Odike, maintained that his family was not the people behind the sudden disappearance of Progress.
He said, “We condemn the act because it is not the culture of this family to kill. The youths in our family cannot be involved in such act.”
Odike, who is also a youth leader in Rumuokani, described the allegation against the Rumuokani people as malicious and condemnable, adding that his people were thinking of how to bury their son (Odike) and not to embark on vengeance.
source:Punch
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