A former Chairperson of Owerri, Imo State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ndionyenma Nwankwo, has been murdered inside his office 43 School Road Owerri Imo State.

The spokesperson of the state police command, SP Orlando Ikeokwu, in a statement released, said the command on Saturday, February 6, received a report concerning the gruesome murder.

Ikeokwu said based on the report, operatives of the Command moved to the scene which is his office and met the lifeless body of the lawyer in the pool of his own blood, with matchet cuts on his neck.

”Taking a further look around the office, a matchet with blood stains, suspected to have been the matchet used in inflicting the cuts on him, was found on the floor.
It was also discovered that his car and other yet to be identified items where taken away,” the statement reads.

Ikeokwu adds that the state Commissioner of Police, Nasiru Mohammed, while asking for calm, has directed an investigation into the matter, with a view to arrest the fleeing suspect(s) and recover the stolen items.

Meanwhile, the state chapter of the Nigeria Bar Association has released a statement confirming his gruesome murder. Read the statement below

”At about 8.15am today on my way to Church for 8.30am Mass, I received a call from the Chairman of the Bar, J.I Ogamba, Esq. detailing me to liaise with the former Secretary of the Bar, Ishmael Nkwocha Esq., to take Police to N.H Nwankwo & Co. at 43 School Road Owerri, to ascertain the safety of N.H Nwankwo, Esq. who left home for work yesterday Saturday the 6th day of February, 2021 and was yet to return from work.

However, earlier to the call, Ishmael Nkwocha, who shares same office space with him had, in response to frantic calls from his family members over the uncertainty of his whereabouts, gone to his office to meet same locked. On opening the Entrance door, he met Nwankwo’s main office locked and with traces of blood on the door to his (Nwankwo’s) office.

Not very sure of the situation he went to the Homicide Section of the State CID, going with him Forensic Experts from the Police Headquarters to the office to have it properly opened by themselves in order not to contaminate evidential materials.

When the forensic experts arrived at 9:56hrs with their gadgets, they opened the door only for us to find his bulky frame lying lifeless inside his office in a pool of his congealed blood.

On a closer inspection, Nwankwo appeared to have been savagely matchetted by his Assailant, as a very gaping cut was seen on his neck, a monstrous cut of not less than of about 30cm with only about less than 50percent of the flesh in his neck region holding the head.

Blood splashes were seen on the roof, fans, Printer, Computers, table, files, seats, books, bookshelves inside his office suggestive of a ferocious matchetting of his neck.

Nwankwo was suspected to have been busy working as his Printer, Computer, Standing Fan were on while a writing pad containing jottings unrelated to this incident and a Pen were found on his Desk.

A bucket of water was seen in his office, with which the Assailant must have washed his hands and Matchet used in this act.

A search of the office revealed a Matchet abandoned inside the Toilet of his office with which the Assialant was suspected to have used to cut his neck.

When his body which lay half prostrate was turned matchet cuts were seen on his Wrist also and the footprints captured by forensic experts suggested the act was done by two persons as the two footprints were unidentical.

As at the time of this Provisional report, Forensic Experts are still gathering evidential materials for their use accompanied by myself, L.C Ugorji, Uche Osuji, Ishmael Nkwocha, J.I Ogamba, D.O Nosike and a host of other Lawyers.

Meanwhile, his Driver, who reportedly was the only person with him in the office on Saturday, is at the time of this report at large, with Nwankwo’s phones, and Car no where to be found.

Arrangement has just been concluded to take the lifeless body to the Morgue.

Chinedu Agu
Secretary,
NBA Owerri
(The Heartland Bar)
07.02.2021
11:43hrs.