Ephraim Onyemereneche, father of CDT Emmanuel Chidiebere Onyemereneche, a cadet officer who allegedly drowned in a hotel pool in Umuahia, has accused involved agencies of a “conspiracy of silence” regarding his son’s death.

On April 4, 2024, Emmanuel, who was close to graduating from the National Defence Academy, was reported missing from the pool surface at the hotel. His body was later discovered by the state fire service and confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.

Following the autopsy, which took place on June 29, 2024, Ephraim has claimed that the results contradicted the initial drowning report. He expressed frustration over the lack of action and transparency from the police, the Nigerian Army, and the Navy, alleging that efforts to investigate the matter have been stymied by a coordinated cover-up.

Ephraim detailed that the autopsy was conducted with numerous witnesses, including police officers, doctors, and Army personnel. However, despite the open procedure, he believes that the findings have been suppressed or ignored by the authorities.

He criticized the response of various bodies, including the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), which has not followed up on his son’s case, and the police, who he claims have failed to act on crucial leads, such as questioning Valentine Obeji, a friend of the deceased.

Ephraim has reached out to multiple officials, including the Chief of Army Staff and the Force Headquarters, without receiving substantive responses. He also noted that local protests and petitions have yet to result in any concrete action or investigation.

The father is calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his son’s death, demanding accountability from all parties involved.

Five people have been slain by unidentified gunmen in the Mbar hamlet in Plateau State’s Bokkos Local Government Area.

Farmasum Fuddang, the chairman of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council Vanguard, made a statement that included this information.

The statement claims that the attack happened on Sunday night while a few young people were traveling through the local government region.

The statement went on to say that terrorists on motorbikes, who had first been driven back by the military from the surrounding highlands, assaulted the defenseless and unarmed adolescents as they were traveling from Mbar town to Koh village along a bypass that surrounded Yelwa Nono village.

The group denounced the attack that resulted in the deaths of five innocent youths in the Mbar neighborhood, even though earlier intelligence assessments indicated a possible incursion of terrorists.

Concerns were also raised about ongoing, unprovoked attacks, which are seen as deliberate attempts to drive the populace from their ancestral homes and seize control of the territory.

The terrorists had finished their purpose and had left without being apprehended by the time the security forces learned of the incident and arrived on the scene a few minutes later. This crime is the latest in a string of violent attacks in our communities, which also includes the murder of eleven boys on September 3, 2024, in the villages of Tarangol, Daffo, and Bargesh.

As with the civilian joint task force in the northeast and northwest, we ask to be part in addressing the threats in our territory by collaborating with security forces.

This is not meant to minimize or disparage the military’s efforts. Nonetheless, the group stated, “We recognize the military’s manpower and logistical constraints, which call for the active involvement of local community members who are familiar with the area and can better assist with intelligence to identify and expose criminal elements in communities.”

The Bokkos Local Government Council’s management, led by Christy Loyi, the Director of Personnel Management, verified the occurrence and assured the victims’ relatives that more security would be added to the local government area during their visit.

Delight Chinedum

A police officer lost his life during a gun duel between joint security operatives and gunmen in Oba, Anambra State.

Police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga in a statement on Tuesday said the deceased, a corporal died when the hoodlums suspected to be armed successionist group shot sporadically in an attempt to gain entrance to the Police Station.

He said they threw petrol bombs at the security facility which made some of the offices catch up with fire, including the Oba Civic Center.

He however said the Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Obono Itam had vowed to bring those behind the unholy act to book.

He said, “The Police-led Joint Security Force comprising of the Army, Navy, Civil defence and other security agencies are currently in a joint on-slaught operation within Oba and its environments. Following, an attack in the early hours of today 3/9/2024 on Oba Police Divisional Headquarters and Oba Civic Center.

“The suspected armed successionist group started shooting sporadically in an attempt to gain entrance to the Police Station and threw petrol bombs at the security facility which made some of the offices catch up with fire including the Oba Civic Center.

“Unfortunately, a police corporal who was fatally wounded paid the supreme price, while the fire was put off with the help of other Police officers on duty and the Joint Security responding team.

“The Commissioner of Police CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, while condemning the act, described the invasion of Security facilities and hostility towards security agents as an attack on the soul of a Nation and vows to bring those behind the unholy act to book.”