THE UNRAVELING STORY ABOUT THE MURDER OF NURSE MARIA AMADI

Contrary to the rumor making the rounds that some suspected and remanded employees of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu (FNHE) had a hand in the murder of Nurse Maria Amadi (PhD), emerging information reveals that the abominable act might have been committed by armed robbers.

The information was availed by Evangelist Tochukwu Obiora (alias Iko Nso), who disclosed he is the Assistant State Commander of Enugu State Neighborhood Watch, to the University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA), the professional association of nurses with a minimum qualification of first degree in nursing. UGONSA has been urging those with useful information regarding the gruesome murder of the late nurse to come forth with such for the interest of justice to the late nurse and the entire nursing community. The Enugu State Secretary of the Association (UGONSA), Nurse Nwodoh Chijioke Oliver in the company of the National Secretary, Nurse Nshi Goodluck Ikechukwu, had visited Evangelist Tochukwu Obiora on Thursday, May 2, 2019 and on Monday, May 6, 2019, at Ugboye in Abakpa-Nike Enugu, where they got the useful information concerning where the focus of security agencies should be at to possibly unravel the truth about Nurse Amadi’s gruesome murder.

Evangelist Tochukwu Obiora, as a top-notch leader of Enugu State Neighborhood Watch, does not only cover the Trans-Ekulu axis where Nurse Maria Amadi was murdered, he is also the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Ugboye and Ugbowa neighbourhood Watch in Abakpa-Nike, Enugu and has been a frontline neighborhood security officer of Enugu State for the past 21 years.

Evangelist Obiora opined that the story about the involvement of some employees of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu (FNHE) in the murder of Nurse Amadi (for which some of them are presently incarcerated in Enugu prison) looks like a fabrication made by some workers to get at their fellow workers who they have had one case or the other with (one of which is still pending in a law court) following the protracted crisis that has been rocking the hospital.

According to him, the intelligence he had so far gathered is strongly narrowing his suspicion to a gang of armed robbers that have been terrorizing Trans-Ekulu in the recent time as those behind the unfortunate criminal mischief that befell Nurse Amadi.

“Before her incidence, I submitted intelligence report to the police that the area has been marked for indiscriminate attacks by a certain gang over an issue they had with the Trans-Ekulu police and for which they had vowed to make Trans-Ekulu boil” (i.e., “casting the area” – a term used by criminal gangs to portray spoiling show for people, police, in this case). “I made the intelligence report to the police to help forestall impending criminal activities in the area but the effort they have so far made seems not enough to nip such in the bud” said Evangelist Obiora (Iko Nso).

Continuing, Evangelist Obiora said, “Since the atrocious murder of the woman by this suspected gang of armed robbers, the same group had continued to terrorize Trans-Ekulu/Abakpa axis and had carried out several armed robbery attacks and equally murdered other people in the same area the woman was murdered. Since March till date, Trans-Ekulu/Abakpa axis of Enugu East LGA where this gang operates in has not had peace”.

“When some members of the gang were apprehended, instead of uncovering their involvement in the murder of the nurse, for which I had tipped them off, the Police later released them without establishing their link to it, reason for which I am yet to understand”.

 “My submission remains that the murder has nothing to do with the workers of the FNHE, who were arrested and detained on the allegation that the murdered woman reported before her demise that, they were the ones that sent assassins to kill her.  This case does not look like that of assassins at all. Common security sense tells me that assassins would not shoot on the leg, the tummy or the shoulder, as was reported in this case, but would aim for the head or chest and would have ensured that the woman was confirmed dead before zooming off especially giving the consideration that they operated freely unchallenged by any security operative while their atrocious act lasted”. “If not, why have they not arrested even one of the alleged ‘assassins’ till now”?

“I know the right people to suspect as the murderers; they are a gang of robbers and cultists. I am very ready to testify anywhere I am called to come and testify. I have the intelligence that the robbers/killers took off from Ugbowa in Abakpa-Nike and what looks like an affirmation to my submission is that one of them had regretted their action in an open place” – Evangelist Obiora added.

Evangelist Obiora further questioned the veracity of the rumour that Late Nurse Maria Amadi mentioned the name of some persons as suspects in her case, after she was shot, either in the police station or in the hospital (to any doctor or nurse that was involved in her treatment) or to the person that brought her to the hospital, as mounting evidence does not lay credence to such.

This query was in line with the independent findings of members of UGONSA, Enugu State Chapter, in an investigation led by Nurse Andalyn Iheagu and Nurse (Barr.) Onuh Beatrice Akudo who had visited the doctors and nurses that participated in her treatment, the police station where she was taken to, and the person that took her to both the police station and the hospital following the gun shot and all confirmed the she never mentioned any person’s name.

Evangelist Obiora challenged those propagating the rumor that the deceased mentioned some people’s name in a statement she made to the police and to the doctors and nurses that attended to her in ESUTH Teaching Hospital, Parklane, to name the officers or the doctors or nurses to whom such statement was made to.  

“To use the unfortunate incident of the gruesome murder of Nurse Maria Amadi (one of the finest professional Nigerian nurses) by some workers in the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu as an avenue to nail other workers they had issues with was preposterous especially as the whims of being on the deceased’s side should be altruistic inclination to unraveling the real truth and culprits behind her gruesome murder rather than playing primordial politics of attrition” – Evangelist Obiora submitted.

Speaking to a group of journalist on Monday, May 6, 2019, at Enugu, after the mind blowing revelation made by Evangelist Obiora, Nurse Nwodoh Chijioke Oliver (the Enugu State Secretary of UGONSA) and Nurse Nshi Goodluck Ikechukwu (the National Secretary of UGONSA) strongly condemned the killing of Nurse Maria Amadi and averred that such a dastardly and barbaric act has left the heart of the nursing community shattered.

According to them, what UGONSA, as an association demands, is a real justice anchored on verifiable truth and not a hearsay or token justice rooted on sentiments and vendetta.

“We in the nursing community are critically hit by the unfortunate incident because the deceased is a nurse and two out of the three persons that are currently incarcerated in Enugu Prison are nurses.  The persons that are currently in detention were arrested on the premise that the late Nurse Amadi made a statement in which she mentioned their names as her killers but investigations have revealed that she never mentioned any person’s name”.

“Our hearts bleed the more because we are like a father whose daughter was murdered and when he cried out that the murderers should be hunted and brought to book, his remaining daughter and son were, instead, accused of being the killers of their sister over unverifiable stories and thus got arrested and incarcerated”.

“Since it has been verily established that late Nurse Maria Amadi never mentioned the names of anybody as her killers or as people that sent assassins to kill her, we demand that the people that are currently in detention over the allegation that she mentioned their names be forthwith released while investigation should be extended to unravel the rightful culprits”.  

“We salute the courage and boldness of Evangelist Tochukwu Obiora, the Chief Security Officer of Ugboye and Ugbowa Abakpa Neighbourhood Watch and the Assistant Commander of Enugu State Neighbourhood Watch, for coming out at this auspicious moment, against all odds, to give useful information about the circumstances and persons involved in the gruesome murder of our colleague”.

“We passionately call on the government of Enugu State and all the security agencies to approach Evangelist Tochukwu Obiora and collaborate with him to get the alleged culprits arrested and brought to book for the interest of justice to the deceased and the entire nursing community as a whole” – the UGONSA scribes said.

Recall that Late Nurse Maria Amadi, Head of Nursing Services, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu and a mother-of-two, was allegedly shot dead on Thursday, March 21, 2019 at about 4pm at Federal Housing Estate, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu, by unknown gunmen.