The elder brother of the deceased
By Calis Mbadugha, Onitsha
The Osegbo family of Dianokwu village, Umuoji, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, Wednesday, cried out to Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, to come to her rescue over the murder of their son, Ebuka Osegbo while at his duty post at Okofia village, Umuoji.
Recall that Onyebuchi Orakwue, Paul Ibodimma Edekobi and others now at large, were arraigned on a four count charge that included murder, criminal conspiracy, conspiracy to commit a felony and malicious damage, at an Ogidi High court.
When the case came up for hearing, the murder charge was excluded and only charge of malicious damage was heard and bail granted to the first defendant, Onyebuchi Orakwu.
Reacting outside the court hall, elder brother to the deceased, Nonso Osegbo, expressed surprise on the removal of the murder charge and accused the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, of excluding the charge of murder against the defendants.
"Exonerating the police from the exclusion of the murder charge, he said that, "The police did their thorough investigation and made their report. It is when the case file was transferred to DPP that it was changed to malicious damage against the defendants.
"So who then killed my brother while he was in his duty post where he was guarding development of a land. There was no crises in the land. They just stormed the place and killed him for nothing.
"I plead to Governor Soludo to come to our rescue, since the death of my sibling, my mother developed severe sickness and the entire family members have been in mourning mood for the deceased was the bread winner of the family.
"We demand that the DPP should insert the murder charge as reported by the police. The governor should call the DPP to order by allowing the court to do its duty of hearing cases as they occurred," he pleaded.
Also reacting, the owner of the property, Ikenna Chikodili Blessing, said that the deceased was killed for nothing as there was no crises on the land.
"They just killed him for nothing, he did not commit any offence and I plead to Governor Soludo to use his good offices to come to the rescue of the family.
"The police charged them on a four count charge and when the case came up the charge of murder against the defendants were deleted. There are confessional statements from one of the defendants which police also made clear to us that the deceased was murdered in cold blood.
"I urge governor Soludo to kindly come to the rescue as the mother of the deceased has felt sick over the sudden death of the baby of the house," she pleaded.