Panic striken citizens of Imo State have expressed shock over the broad day light murder of an Owerri based lawyer,Barr Ndionyenma Nwankwo in Owerri ,the state capital , yesterday,Sunday by suspected assassins.
Nwankwo, a core legal practitioner was founded dead in his office located at #43 School Road in Owerri, with deep machete cuts.
Surprisingly, his driver has reportedly fled in his car and mobile Telephones.
It was gathered that the deceased has had 36 post call to the Nigerian Bar experience.
The NBA Owerri branch secretary , Chinedu Agu, who confirmed the murder of Barr.Nwankwo to newsmen on Sunday, disclosed that the homicide section of the State Police command has taken over the murder case.
The murder of the Anambra state -born Senior lawyer,Agu said is as a big blow to the branch.
The NBA Secretary who narrated how Nwankwo was killed said, “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.
He,noted,”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 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, book shelves 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.
According, to him,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.
The Secretary revealed that his Driver, who reportedly was the only person with him in the office on Saturday, is at the time of this report is at large, with Nwankwo’s Telephones and Car,his where about unknown.
Arrangement ,he continued was concluded to take the lifeless body to the Morgue.
“This is one death too many; one murder too savage,he lamented.
A spokes person for the state police command, Orlando Ikeokwu, confirmed the murder incident when contacted by our correspondent on Sunday.
He disclosed that the command had commenced investigation into the murder incident.
