By Onome Oghenetega
Hundreds of youths on Thursday held a peaceful protest in Asaba, Delta State, over the gruesome murdered of 36-year-old lady, Miss Joy Obiageli Onekanse, in her apartment in the state capital.
The aggrieved from Ukwu-Nzu community in Aniocha North Local Government Area called on relevant authorities to ensure that justice is done in the killing of the Onekanse.
The 36-year old single lady was allegedly murdered at her apartment in Asaba, and buried in a shallow grave within the compound earlier this month.
Two suspects including the security guard of the premises and a co-tenant of the deceased were initially arrested by the police, but there are rumours that that the co-tenant, a movie director, has been released.
In a candle light procession along some streets in Asaba, the community youths raised alarm that the issue was not being given the attention it deserved.
Clad in black attires, the aggrieved youths also carried placards of various inscriptions including ‘Nigeria police, do your job,’ ‘Justice for Oby, the culprits must not go unpunished,’ ‘We need justice,’ among others.
A relative of the deceased, Clifford Osahenye alleged that the actions of the police have raised fear of denial of justice.
His words: “They invited us some days ago as they told us that government ought to finance the expedition of the action on getting all the requirements needed to know what took place but since the government is not forthcoming with the necessary miscillaneous, they told us that we can finance it to make it go faster.
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“While we were preparing to raise money for the case we heard that the alleged murderer has been set free from the police net and this did not go down well with the family and the community at large
“We are here to plead with the police and the State Government. It is a peaceful procession because you can see all of us with our candles praying that God should touch the heart of the people that are handling the case to do the right thing.”
But two officers who addressed the youths, urged them to approach the matter in a logical way rather than embarking on protest.
One of them, an officer from the State Investigation Bureau (SIB) said: “I want you to follow it in a logical way, a protest cannot get you a desired result. It is a case of murder; it is not something you can jump into. So I advise that you go home peacefully.”
Also, a Chief Superintendent of Police, Gbenga Ojo, told the youths that they were “not supposed to protest, there is a letter we wrote to your lawyer that you should not protest.”
“If you are not satisfied with the case at the homicide, we have senior officers like the AC, DC or you can apply to interview to the CP than to protest in a wrong way.”
Earlier, however, Secretary to the State Government, Chiedu Ebie assured the youths that justice will be served, adding that the state government was not aware that any suspect was released from police custody.
