By Augustine Ehikioya
Mr. Ephraim Onyeomereneche, who is the father of the dead Nigerian Air Force Termer Four Cadet Officer, Emmanuel Onyeomereneche Chidiebere, on Thursday kicked against the continued silent by the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) over the matter.
Speaking with Security Watch Africa (SWA), he said that the autopsy report has already shown clearly that his son was murdered.
Against Police report claiming that Chidiebere drowned in a swimming pool at Hotel Royal Damgrete in Abia State on April 9, 2024, Onyeomereneche claims that his son was murdered, citing an autopsy conducted on June 29, 22024 which he said revealed that the cause of death could not be linked to poison.
He said his deceased son died as a result of intracranial haematoma and skull fracture at occipital and right parietal region.
This, he said, proved that his son’s death was not attributable to drowning as earlier speculated.
A Police source, who was involved in the investigation into the death of the late Chidiebere, said that the autopsy confirmed that the officer was likely murdered at Hotel Royal Damgrete in Abia State, and thrown into their swimming pool to make it look like he drowned.
The autopsy result made available to Security Watch Africa by the source showed that the late Air Force Cadet Officer died as a result of intracranial haematoma and skull fracture at occipital and right parietal region.
The deceased father also believed that Chidiebere’s death was orchestrated by one of his son’s colleagues.
However, the autopsy report for the late Chidiebere, issued on August 18, 2024, and authenticated by a team of renowned medical specialists, including Prof. M. A. Nnoli, Assoc. Prof. Jegede O.O., Dr. Chukwuegbo C.C., and Dr. Ogbata S.E., categorically rules out poisoning as the fatal factor.
Part of the autopsy result reads: “We certify the cause of death in our opinion to be: 1a. Intracranial Haematoma; 1b. Skeletal Injury (Skull Fracture – Occipital & Right Parietal Region) and 1c. Soft Tissue Injury (Blunt Head Trauma – Occipital Region).
“Summary of Cause of Death: Following the sudden blunt injury (soft tissue injury) at the back of the neck with consequent formation of subcutaneous haematoma and fracture as stated above, there is likely damage to vasomotor/baroreceptor centres and nerve roots as the area is very prone to injury.”
“These structures control the cardiovascular and respiratory centres and could have accounted for sudden death seen,” it stated.
Recounting the last moments before and after his son’s murder, the father said “On 28th March ,2024 at about 1:45 pm CDT Emmanuel Chidiebere Onyeomereneche called me that he has arrived Umuahia, Abia State on Easter holidays alongside his other course mates CDT Valentine Ucheji Obeji and one CDT Peter.
“On convinction, VU Obeji took Chidiebere to introduce to Eric Obeji, and thereafter with Eric’s car brought Chidiebere back to the house.
“From that day and going forward up till the date of murder, valentine Obeji visited my house at least two times each day cunningly and unsuspectingly familiarizing himself with the siblings.
“On 9th April, 2024, at about 3.30pm Valentine Obeji visited my house and picked Chidiebere, who told me that they’re going out to swim, and that he’ll be back before 6.00pm.
“At about 5.50pm, I rang his phone four times, but same was not picked. I called back at about 6.15pm still without answer. I was disturbed, but kept my cool .
“It was at about 7.15pm that Eric Obeji called me requesting that I come over to Hotel Royal Damgrate, Umuahia, Abia State. I immediately asked him what has happened to my son Chidiebere. Instead of answering my question, he retorted and asked me how I know that Chidiebere is in Hotel Royal Damgrate, Umuahia?
“I insisted on knowing what happened, but he wouldn’t bulge, sticking to his earlier words that there’s a situation involving Chidiebere for which I must come to the hotel. After some hesitations , I decided to go.”
He added “At Hotel Royal Damgrate, Umuahia, I asked for Mr Eric as he introduced himself to virtually every worker in sight, who readily knew him and said that he is around, but couldn’t pinpoint the exact location where he is in the hotel. One of the workers asked me to call him on phone, and then on calling, he picked and told me that of the two vehicles entering the hotel premises, he’s on the second car.
“Stopping, I went to him. He introduced the owner of the hotel, Dr. Steve Ihedigbo,who incidentally was in the first car that drove in. We shook hands and he left us. Thereafter, Eric lead the way to the pool side and broke the news to me saying: “We are suspecting that Chidiebere drowned in this swimming pool” pointing at the swimming pool.
“I asked him for the measures that the hotel have taken thinking that he’s the hotel manager. I also asked to know the whereabouts of Valentine Ucheji Obeji, the person with whom Chidiebere visited the hotel. There was no answer.
“Eric Obeji then introduced me to one tall man standing beside him as a diver from UNIC Hotel, Umuahia, who he has gone to hire for a rescue operation. He, Eric have also hired a pumping machine to pump out the pool waters and have contacted the men of the fire service for assistance.
“It was a devastating news as there was no light at the pool and the waters were so dirty to notice any object at the pool surface talkless of pool bed. Various methods were tried to get to the body down the pool which took several hours till around 10.30pm when the body was lifted ashore facing up.
“The corpse has the legs in an attention position with the right hand clinged to the body, neck was bent backwards and his stomach was very flat .
“There was no noticeable bruises on the body at first sight. He was still wearing his red swimming trunk.
“It was time to take the body to FMC Umuahia to see any reviving measure. Unfortunately, while Eric was breaking the padlock to the backdoor near the Generator House, Steve ihedigbo was hiding at the Generator House.
“The hired UNIC Hotel diver has turned to a Policeman, and we drove off. At FMC Umuahia, my son was confirmed dead by the doctors, and shortly after that the Army appeared from nowhere.
“Major JK Inuwa, the Commanding Officer 145 battalion led the team. They introduced themselves, and asked that I go home and checked for his PASS. That done, they took pictures and sent signals to Ohafia Barracks, 82 Division, Enugu for transmission to NDA Kaduna.
“At the mortuary, after depositing the corpse, a Police Officer requested for the tally from me, I wanted to know why and he told me that it was the order his boss gave him. I insisted on calling Major JK Inuwa before handing over the morgue tally 446 to the Police.
“Called and the Maj. requested to know why the tally should be handed over, it was then that the Police withdrew their demands for the tally. It was about 12.05am and we left the morgue, still without CDT Valentine Ucheji Obeji (13296) who came to the house to lure him to the hotel, in sight.”
The deceased father went on “The next day 10th April, 2024, at FMC Umuahia where I’ve come to pick bills and see if my son will wake up. Valentine Obeji and Peter was also around, alongside Eric Obeji. I asked him for the ATM cards, phone and clothes, but he wouldn’t provide them.
“It was then that Eric Obeji asked me to exercise patience that he will personally return them to me, not knowing that they’ve washed his inner black sleeveless polo with detergent, and waiting for it to dry. The polo may have been stained with blood, hence the long delay.
“Calls were coming from different quarters and especially Cadet Officers and management of the NDA Kaduna. The Swimming Trainer called and asked me to hand over the phone to Valentine Obeji who lured Chidiebere to his death. He asked him several probing questions which Valentine could not proffer sensible answers but stammered.
“The Trainer ask Valentine why he was unable to rescue a drowning person despite his trainings at NDA Kaduna, assuming that a fellow Cadet Officer is a novice in the waters.
“He wanted to know why Valentine Obeji resorted to a Police formation in a time of emergency, instead of an Army formation against laid down procedure.
“He asked Valentine the size of the swimming pool at NDA, which is an Olympic size , as compared to a two room pool at Hotel Royal Damgrate, Umuahia.
“He then asked him to tell Chidiebere’s parents what happened to Chidiebere as he never drowned in the pool.”
Saying that after several autopsy sessions that did not hold due to suspected manipulated results, he said, the NDA Kaduna agreed to foot the bills of a comprehensive postmortem / autopsy examination to determine the real and actual course of the death of one of their own, Cadet Officer Emmanuel Chidiebere Onyeomereneche.
Continuing, he said “On 29th June, 2024 a postmortem was carried out on the deceased Airforce Cadet Officer Emmanuel Chidiebere Onyeomereneche and the results has been published.
“The autopsy results ruled out drowning and poisoning but confirmed Murder, by a hard hit at the back of the head (upper neck region) which broke the skull, allowing blood to flow into the brain and took out his supply of oxygen (breath).
“When the autopsy results came out, I informed NDA Kaduna, and requested that they seek for justice for deceased Airforce Cadet Officer Emmanuel Chidiebere Onyeomereneche, my son as a way of emotional closure for the family now that it is confirmed that my son was murdered at Hotel Royal Damgrate, Umuahia, Abia State.
“It was the dead silence of NDA Kaduna that prompted my seeking for assistance from any concerned offices, the media, government authorities to do the needful and seek for justice for deceased Airforce Cadet Officer Emmanuel Chidiebere Onyeomereneche.
“On the part of the Police, I ask: why wouldn’t there be proper investigations on the role of other parties that participated in the gruesome murder of my son. One person alone couldn’t have killed him without a gun. So, who are the other parties.
“What role did Eric Obeji play if any before, during and after the murder of Chidiebere at Hotel Royal Damgrate, Umuahia, Abia State.
What’s happening at Hotel Royal Damgrate, Umuahia, Abia State that people can easily be murdered and thrown into the swimming pool, with a claim of drowning.
“Why are there no CCTV cameras in Hotel Royal Damgrate, Umuahia. What role if any did Dr. Steve Ihedigbo play in the murder of my son and why the cover-ups. Why are there no lights on the swimming pool of the hotel and why no CCTV cameras. Who are the divers in the hotel and what safety measures are there. Shouldn’t the hotel be closed down indefinitely.” he queried.
The father went further “I will wish to ask why the Abia State government has kept sealed lips despite peaceful protest march by the entire villages of Ibeku to Government House, Umuahia, State House of Sssembly, and at the crime scene of Hotel Royal Damgrate, Umuahia.
“At all these venues, the protesters were duly received with a promise to take actions, which has now turned to a conspiracy of silence by all the state actors.
“We the family of deceased Airforce Cadet Officer Emmanuel Chidiebere Onyeomereneche is only seeking for justice and nothing more.
“Any assistance from any quarters to unravel the circumstances of the dastardly act of murder of the innocent should be appreciated.
“Evil shall not be allowed to thrive in the land. Cover-ups and injustice shouldn’t be tolerated in a civil society. Human life is sacrosanct. Spilling blood is bad.” he stated.
