The father of a nine-year-old girl, Mr. James Achikpi Korshima is asking for justice over alleged gruesome murder of his 9-year-old daughter, Precious by a certain Mrs. Ujunwa Ugwuoke residing at Fidelity Estate, Enugu.
In a complaint that he brought before the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), a human rights organization based in Enugu,
Mr. Korshima alleged that Precious, who was a house help to Mrs. Ujunwa Ugwuoke was beaten to death by the woman who subsequently dumped the girl's corpse in a forest where residents of the community burnt her corpse, SaharaReporters said.
According to the 37-year-old Mr. Korshima,
native of Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State, but resident in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State,
“Sometimes in March 2022, a businesswoman Mrs. Nelly Okoroafor, who lives in Port-Harcourt approached me and pleaded with me to release my little daughter, Miss Precious Korshima (9 years old) to train in school through her friend in Enugu, Mrs. Ujunwa Ugwoke.
"She told me that it would be her little way of helping Precious since I am just an upcoming artist and also helping Mrs. Ugwuoke look after her newborn baby.
“I released my little daughter to Mrs. Okoroafor and subsequently she was sent to Mrs. Ujunwa who lives in Fidelity Estate, Enugu.
"She was living with her until November 10, 2022, when I received a strange phone call from an unknown caller using Mrs. Ujunwa's phone number. The caller claimed that they kidnapped Mrs. Ugwuoke, her baby, and Precious, my daughter, and demanded a ransom of N20 million.
“I pleaded with the alleged kidnapper that my little daughter was only a house help and that I had no means of raising such an amount of money. I also appealed to the alleged kidnapper caller that I would get in touch with the family of Mrs. Ujunwa.
"Like I promised I got in touch with Mrs. Ujunwa's family and her husband who lives abroad. To my greatest surprise they all feigned ignorance of the alleged kidnap,” Korshima said.
Continuing, Korshima said that later, Mrs. Ugwoke allegedly told him that she and her daughter were released by the kidnappers while Precious was killed.
He first reported the matter to the New Haven Police Station, Enugu, which later transferred it to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad unit of the Enugu Police command.
“It was after some days at the anti-kidnapping base that Mrs. Ugwuoke admitted that she beat Precious to death and dumped the corpse off Port-Harcourt expressway immediately after the military checkpoint, after the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu,” he narrated.
Kashima further disclosed that when the Police visited the crime scene, they were told that the traditional ruler of the community had directed youths to burn the decomposing body of his daughter because of its offensive odor.
“The Igwe did this illegal act without informing security agents of the presence of the corpse in his domain,” Korshima stated.
Consequently, the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN) has petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Police Command, with copies to the Inspector General of Police and Enugu state Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, demanding a thorough investigation and asking that the case be transferred to the homicide section of the State Criminal and Investigation Department (State CID) of the Enugu State command.
CRRAN in the petition signed by its President, Olu Omotayo, described it as a clear case of murder, saying “we submit that this is a clear case of murder and the investigation of the case has nothing to do with the Anti-Kidnapping Base.
“We urge you to immediately order that a thorough investigation of this heinous crime be carried out by the Homicide section of the State Criminal and Investigation Department (State CID), of the State Police Headquarters, Enugu.
“Ujunwa Ugwuoke killed the little child in a cruel and barbaric way and dumped the corpse in the bush while the Igwe in question completed the unlawful act by ordering the burning of the corpse.”
“We join Mr. Korshima and Mr. Terfa Kaaimo, the President of the Tiv Community in Enugu to demand justice in this case. The killers should be made to face the full wrath of the law.”
Mrs. Ujunwa Ugwoke has yet to comment on the matter.
Human Rights.
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