The Nigerian police have refuted social
media report that a female corps member was set ablaze and left to die
by angry villagers in Akwa Ibom State.
#CRU278939 DETAILED REPORT ON #NgoziOnyekwere
This report is sequel to a complaint of
alleged police inaction brought to the notice of the NPF-CRU after a
post on Social Media dated 8th July, 2016 of alleged Akwa Ibom state
police refusal to apprehend a group of angry villagers who were alleged
of setting a female road traffic accident victim named Ngozi Onyekwere
ablaze.
Based on the said viral social media
post, NPF-CRU registered the case as a complaint of “Police Inaction”
with tracking number #CRU278939. The Commissioner of Police Akwa Ibom
State Command was contacted, a detailed investigation was carried out
regarding all allegations made in the said post.
Investigations reveals thus;
1. That on 22.06.2016 at about 2:00pm
Police received the report of a lone fatal motor road traffic accident
along Mbiereke/Ikot Oku Nsit Road, Mbiokporo Nsit 1, Nsit Ibom Local
Government Area of Akwa Ibom State involving one Toyota Camry car
registration number KJA 473 DW [LAGOS] and a 10-year-old pedestrian boy
who was struck by the car as he was returning from school. That the boy
died on the spot due to his injuries and the vehicle went up in flames
upon impact into a nearby gutter with one of the passengers trapped
underneath the vehicle.
2. A team of Traffic Police officers and
other emergency responders were immediately dispatched to the scene
where the burnt vehicle was met with a part stuck in the gutter with
what appears to be a burnt human remains trapped under the vehicle in
the gutter. The victim was burnt beyond recognition before the arrival
of the fire Service personnel.
3. The driver of the vehicle one Dr.
Ugochuchwu Raphael Eze (a medical doctor and National Youth Service
Corps (NYSC) member) and a male passenger in the vehicle (also a medical
doctor) were met at the scene as well as other eye witnesses. The
driver stated that he suddenly lost control of the vehicle and that led
to knocking down the boy.
4. The burnt corpse of the other
passenger was recovered from underneath the accident vehicle by the
emergency responders and the driver identified her as Miss Ngozichukwu
Philomina Leriakawa (referred to as #NgoziOnyekwere in the social media
post) also NYSC member serving in Akwa Ibom and remains of the
10-year-old boy found by the road side were removed and deposited at the
mortuary. The road was cleared and made safe for traveling after the
performance of required police traffic investigation procedure.
5. Both survivors of the accident – the
driver and the passenger both friends of the deceased Ngozi and other
witnesses at the scene stated that the driver and one of the passengers
were able to exit the vehicle which busted into flames upon its impact
in the road side gutter after hitting the boy. That the deceased was
unlucky as she somehow got trapped under part of the vehicle inside the
gutter as she tried making her way out of the burning vehicle.
Both survivors and bystanders helplessly watched the vehicle burning with the trapped victim.
6. Both survivors were taken to St
Luke’s Hospital Anua, Uyo for medical attention. The passenger was
treated and discharged while the driver was referred to Orthopedic
Hospital Enugu for spinal cord injuries based on the recommendation of
medical doctors in the hospital. Hence driver was granted police
administrative bail to enable him attend the hospital.
7. On 29.06.2016 a post postmortem
examination was performed on the deceased Ngozi at University of Uyo
Teaching Hospital (UUTH) Uyo and corpse later released to her elder
brother one Obioma Leriakawa who represented the family and Mr Udo
Boniface an official of NYSC Akwa Ibom State for burial.
8. A full report on the incident based
on eyewitness statements – two survivors who are friends of the deceased
and independent witnesses, as well as cause of death as stated in the
autopsy – has since been shared with the family of late Ngoz and NYSC
Akwa Ibom State.
9. That on 29th July, 2016 the family of
Late Ngozichukwu Philomina Leriakawa (#NgoziOnyekwere) informed the
Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Nsit Ibom in Akwa Ibom State that they
have resolved to opt for “a peaceful settlement” with Dr. Ugochukwu
Raphael Eze – driver of the car – and that they wish to withdraw from
further police actions or any court proceedings against the driver
regarding the death of Ngozi (#NgoziOnyekwere).
10. The family of the late 10-year-old
boy had earlier submitted same request as stated in S/No.9 above to the
police and backed with a Court Affidavit in respect of the case.
Based on the foregoing, NPF-CRU has since closed case – CRU278939 and alleged inaction against the police referred as false.
The victim was not set ablaze by a mob,
the motive behind the continuous misinformation of the public by some
individuals on the social media remain unclear. The family of Miss
Ngozichukwu Philomina Leriakawa (being referred to as #NgoziOnyekwere)
is fully informed of the circumstances of this case.
May the souls of the victims of this road traffic accident rest in peace.
Ag. ACP Abayomi Shogunle
Assistant Commissioner of Police (CRU)
Complaint Response Unit (CRU),
Force Headquarters,
Abuja.
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